


Chain of Memories - Princess of Light Remix-

by greeneggs101



Series: -Princess of Light Remix- [2]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, POV Kairi (Kingdom Hearts), POV Riku (Kingdom Hearts)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-28
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-09-01 20:05:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 48,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16771975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greeneggs101/pseuds/greeneggs101
Summary: To find is to lose, and to lose is to find.The words were a riddle without an answer.Kairi starts her journey through Castle Oblivion, searching for someone she has no memory of but so desperately wants to see. Meanwhile, Riku and Sora wander through the dark world, Riku becoming more and more worried as Sora seems to be slowly losing his memory.





	1. Kairi: to find is to lose

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This sequel was a long time in the making. (Mostly because I was focusing on my Difference Inbetween AU) I'm still working on writing this fic, but I'm pretty far ahead and it's all outlined. :D
> 
> And again, chapters vary in length... It kinda reminds me of cutscenes in a way?
> 
> Edit 5/19 - Minor grammar and spelling edits that I should have edited long before now.

Kairi pulled the door to the large castle open.

At first, she thought a million-watt flashbulb was shining at her from inside the entry hall, but then she realized it was just the stark contrast of the bright, white interior against the dark night outside.

“What’s the holdup?” a voice quacked behind her.

“Oh, sorry,” She stepped inside, letting Donald and Goofy come in behind her.

“You really think the King’s here?” Goofy wondered, looking around them.

“I dunno...” Kairi said, sighing. “I just... I think this is where we need to be.”

“Really?” Goofy looked at Kairi, “Cause I was thinking the same thing.”

“Me too!” Donald quacked.

“Huh,” Kairi thought about it, “Well... I guess that’s an even better reason to keep moving forward!”

She and Donald turned to go further inside but Goofy turned around.

“Shouldn’t we close the door fir--Kairi!”

Kairi jumped around at Goofy’s shout.

Coming in the open door was a figure in a long black cloak. Their hood was up, darkening their features.

“Welcome, Princess, to Castle Oblivion.” The voice was light but definitely male and a little threatening, but not the same kind of menacing as Ansem’s was.

“Thank you, I think,” Kairi tried to get a glimpse under the hood, but some sort of magic prevented anything other than a vague nose and chin outline from being visible. “You were the one at the crossroads, right? Before we got here.”

“Indeed,” The figure stepped closer. Goofy and Donald summoned their weapons, but Kairi waited, unsure if this man was friend or foe yet.

“What did you mean, to find is to lose and to lose is to find?”

The figure didn’t answer, taking a step closer instead.

It was curious. Ever since she had become aware of her power as a Princess of Heart, Kairi could sense light and darkness in a person. Goofy and Donald radiated light while darkness had seeped out of Riku, nearly bursting out once Ansem possessed him. Sora was a bight radiating light, like the sun.

But from this man? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

It disturbed her, maybe even more than the darkness did.

Something about the man must have disturbed Donald as well, for the duck brandished his staff and shouted. “Thunder!”

Nothing happened.

Kairi and Goofy looked over while Donald shook his staff as if he could jiggle the magic loose. “Thunder!”

Still nothing.

“Fire!” Donald tried. “Blizzard!”

Kairi was suddenly relieved that nobody needed a heal spell at the moment.

“From the moment you stepped in here, you forgot every ability and spell you ever knew,” the figure said.

Kairi may not have been able to sense any darkness from his voice, but she could hear the smugness, and that put her on edge anyway. She summoned her keyblade, trying to silently cast her own fire spell, but like Donald, it didn’t work.

“Kairi!”

Kairi glanced up at Donald’s shout. The man was rushing towards her. She put her keyblade up to block.

The man ran-- through?--her.

Kairi shook her head, checking herself quickly for injuries. But outside of a slight sensation of dropping in her stomach, a usual indication that something was wrong, nothing seemed out of sorts.

“I just sampled your memories,” the figure stated. He held out a hand and a card suddenly appeared. He tossed it to Kairi who caught it easily.

She took a quick look at it, finding familiarity in the picture of buildings and lights. “Traverse Town?”

She glanced up but found that the figure had vanished.

“What?”

She looked down the corridor, finding a set of doors similar to the ones she had entered. Hesitantly, she walked up to the door and studied it. She gave it a push, then a pull but found that it wouldn't budge an inch. Donald and Goofy ran up to help her, but even together they couldn't open the door. The redhead even jumped back a few feet and tried to unlock it with her keyblade, but even that did nothing.

Kairi huffed and stood back. _Why lead me here if you’re just gonna leave me trapped in the entryway?_

She looked back at the card still in her hand. A slightly crazy thought came to her, but since nothing else was working, she decided to give it a try. She held the card up as high as it would go.

There was a glow the card, and suddenly, the doors opened. Donald, who had still been pushing, stumbled to the ground. Goofy stopped to help him while Kairi took a few cautious steps through the doors.

Blinking against the harsh light, Kairi found herself in the first district of Traverse Town. She turned to Donald and Goofy, only to find that they were no longer behind her.

“What? What’s going on?”


	2. Riku: wandering in the dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D So I'll be switching between Kairi and Riku's POV every other chapter (with an interlude or two along the way...) Hope everyone enjoys where I take Riku's side of the fic. It's gonna be very different...

“Ugh...” Sora sat down on one of the lightened rocks that provided some illumination to the dark world. “Feels like we’ve been walking for ages.”

“It’s only been a few hours...” Riku said, poking Sora in the side, smiling when the brunet giggled.

At least he could still laugh.

“We should keep moving.”

Riku looked down to where King Mickey still had his keyblade out, always on alert. “Yeah.”

He held his hand out to Sora, who took it with a grin, not letting go even as they began to move forward again.

“Are you sure--”

“Don’t you dare bring that up again,” Sora whispered harshly, his grip tightening on Riku’s to the point of near pain. “You’re not leaving. The King and I will just follow you, no matter where you go.”

“...Right.” Riku summoned his own blade, a bit unsettled at how easy it came to his hand. Was it because they were in the Realm of Darkness? Or was it because the darkness in his heart was growing stronger?

He had tried to leave soon after the worlds finished restoring, all of the hearts going back to where they belonged in the realm of light. Riku felt that, since light found light easy, Sora and the King would have a straightforward time finding the door to light without him. They both belonged there, while he would just cast shadows on their path.

Sora, stubborn as always, had grabbed both his hands and refused to let him budge till Riku changed his mind. Even Mickey was a little disheartened by his intended actions.

In the end, Riku could never say no to Sora for too long, and finally, let out a sigh. Sora grinned when the silver-haired boy nodded his agreement in staying with the group, but still refused to let go of his hand. Riku tried not to read too much into it.

They walked aimlessly, though the King seemed to have some kind of destination in mind.

“I found her the first time right around here...I think,” Mickey sighed, “Everything got all topsy turvy when the worlds restored.”

“Hmm?” Sora tilted his head, “Found who?”

“My friend!” Mickey turned and offered a big grin, “She’s lost in the realm of darkness too! I think it’s better to travel in a group here. That way, we can all go home together!”

“Great!” Sora grinned.

Riku was less heartened by this statement. If Mickey’s friend had been lost here for who knows how long, how were they going to get out?


	3. Kairi: got it memorized?

“Ack!” Kairi blinked against the bright light and walked back out into the corridor of the...castle?

She blinked, hadn’t she just been in Traverse Town? But Aerith had warned her that her memories may not be quite...right.

“Kairi?”

She jumped startled by Donald’s voice. After going so long without hearing it. “Where’d you guys go?!”

“Umm, we’re not sure.” Goofy shrugged. “I just know that we couldn’t help you unless you used those weird cards.”

Kairi pulled the cards out of her pocket. “I couldn’t do _anything_ without these.” She sighed and put them back.

“Well, what do we do now?” Donald asked.

Kairi didn’t like this castle. Despite its bright interior, it seemed... threatening. Like it was pushing them to go back and Kairi was inclined to agree with it. She opened her mouth to suggest heading back the way they came when another voice interrupted her.

“Enjoy your trip?”

Kairi gasped and turned around. It was the hooded figure from earlier. “What?” She shook her head, giving a smile. The hooded figure may creep her out with the absolute _nothing_ she had felt from him, but he hadn’t done anything to overtly threaten her.

...yet.

“Sure! It was nice to see everyone. Though...” she frowned, “They didn’t remember me, or Donald and Goofy. Was that your doing?”

“Such is the way in Castle Oblivion,” the man responded.

“Could you start to make some sense?” Kairi huffed, “I still don’t understand what you want from me.”

“Well, well...” A new voice rang out in the hallway and a dark corridor appeared behind the hooded man. After a moment, another figure appeared from the corridor, in a cloak similar to the hooded figure, but with their hood down.

Green eyes stared at her in curiosity, surrounded by a veritable mane of flaming red hair. “Sounds like the Princess is getting a little testy. She might bite soon...”

“Hmph. What do you want?” The other figure asked.

“Aww...you can’t go around hogging our hero here.” The green-eyed man smirked and motioned towards Kairi with his hand.

“Do you wish to test her?”

“Well...” the man trailed off, but smirked with the hooded figure passed him a card and waved off.

“Very well. Just don’t break her.”

“Not planning on it.” The green-eyed man chuckled as the hooded figure disappeared. “Well, now that it’s just us I guess I should introduce myself.” He grinned and pointed a finger at his head, “The name’s Axel. Got it memorized?”

“Huh?” Kairi blinked. What an odd person. “Yeah, sure? My name’s Kai--”

“Kairi.” He interrupted, “Yes. You’re quite well known.” He summoned some sort of whirling disks with wickedly sharp looking points. “Now that we know each other... don’t go dying on me.”

Kairi barely had time to summon her keyblade before the hallway melted away into some sort arena. She turned, looking for Donald and Goofy, but again, they disappeared. There was a glint of green sparkling to her right and she turned, finding Goofy’s face smiling up at her.

“C’mon, Princess!” Axel shouted, barreling towards her in an attack, “Give a good show now...”

Kairi gritted her teeth, swinging her keyblade to counter. Instantly, she felt her keyblade draw on the power of the cards she carried. As soon as she blocked the attack, she rolled, picking up Goofy as she went.

She held up the Goofy card and two others she pulled out from her deck. Goofy appeared knocking Axel in the air so Kairi could slam him back down. As soon as the taller redhead hit the ground, Goofy disappeared again.

“Shit, really?!” Axel groaned, then blocked her incoming attack, retaliating with a burst of flame.

Kairi shrieked at the fireball and dodged, just getting the back of her legs singed. She pulled out a few cure cards, quickly casting before Axel could retaliate again.

This card system was rather ridiculous. And it wasn’t fair that the cloaked figures seemed to have had time to get used to it.

Finally, it looked like Axel was out of cards and Kairi took her chance. Stacking three cards, she used their power to land a combo that knocked Axel out of the ring.

Instantly the battlefield dissolved and they were back in the hallway. 

“Kairi!”

The redhead girl turned at the sound of her friends. Sure enough, Donald and Goofy were there, staring at her in concern.

Would this happen every time she had to battle? She would have to use those cards to summon her friends to help?

She was distracted from those thoughts by a loud, slow clapping noise.

“Well, well...”

She turned back to where Axel was clapping his hands, a smirk on his face.

“Aren’t you just a little spitfire.” The taller redhead smirked, then tossed something at Kairi.

She caught it easily, finding it a set of a few cards. Like Traverse Town, she recognized a few of the places in the cards. Agrabah, Kaua’i, Neverland...

“What’s this?”

“The only way to move forward.” Axel pointed at the cards. “Those cards were created from your memory. The further you move into Castle Oblivion, the more memories will be revealed. Even memories you may have forgotten, Princess.”

Kairi blinked in confusion for a moment, then looked back up at Axel. “Wait. Forgotten... you mean my memories of Hollow Bastion, right? Of my grandmother?”

“Of course. And of the others as well.”

“Others?” Now Kairi was really confused.

Who else could she be forgetting?

“Of course. Keep going forward. It’s the only way you’ll remember.” Axel grinned and held out a hand, “Unless you want a hint now?”

Kairi hesitated long enough for Goofy to lay a hand on her shoulder, “Do you need it?”

Stubbornly, the redhead shook her head and put the cards in her pocket, “No thanks. I’ll figure it out on my own.”

“Hmph. An answer we’d expect from the keyblade hero.” A dark corridor appeared behind the man and he stepped through it, “Don’t go disappointing me now...”

Then he was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing about how the heck the card system works in a fic setting is both interesting and kind of annoying. And required multiple rewatches of chain of memories playthroughs (which, btw, I would reccommend Everglow's timeline series, as well as Nyancave's blind playthrough on Youtube. Both are very entertaining.) 
> 
> Hope I wrote Axel okay! He's always been one of the more difficult characters to properly write. He's so... nuanced. 
> 
> We'll see what Riku's up to on Friday! :D


	4. Riku: lost or forgotten

“So... who's your friend?” Sora asked, crossing his arms behind his head and somehow still grinning, despite the darkness they were surrounded in. “The one we’re looking for.”

They were taking a break near some kind of forest made out of tall rock formations, the glowing stones giving off a bit of light, but not much. Mickey sat on one of the shorter formations, using magic to recreate his shirt.

“Hmm...” Mickey glanced up at the brunet, “Oh. Her name is Aqua. Actually...” He offered them a grin, “She said that she met you two a long time ago. About ten years?”

“Huh?” Sora crossed his arms in thought.

“The woman.” Riku said, “The one who made you promise to keep me on the right path.”

“Oh?” Sora scratched his head, “If you say so, But I was pretty young so I...” His face scrunched up and Riku just barely resisted poking the little furrow between his eyebrows. “Oh! She had blue hair right?”

“Yeah!” Mickey nodded, “She--well... to save a friend, she fell down here, into the realm of darkness. She was helping me find the keyblade from this realm, but then we got separated.” He let out a deep sigh, “She’s been in here for so long. I’m hoping we can locate her. Then, together, we’ll find a way out of here.”

“We’ll find her,” Sora grinned, summoning his keyblade, “If your hearts are connected, then we’ll find her. Simple as that.”

Riku huffed, ruffling Sora on the head, “When did you get to be so wise? Last I checked, you were still in a coma...”

“I found you, right?”

Sora’s grin was so bright, Riku felt as if the dark realm around them lightened by a few shades. He felt his own cheeks redden and he quickly coughed, turning away to hide it. “Yeah, you sure did.” More or less.

How did Sora do that? Just pull him out of whatever pessimistic mood Riku found himself in with just a smile.

Love was weird.

“Gosh, Sora,” Mickey said, startling Riku out of his thoughts. “I wish everyone had that sort of optimism.”

Sora turned back to the mouse, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “I’ll admit it’s a little hard sometimes. But, well, I’ve got you guys right? And the realm of darkness isn’t as bad as I thought it sounded like. I mean... We got these glowing rocks.” He poked one, smiling when the light shifted to a slightly different shade of blue. “That’s already better than I expected.”

Riku huffed out a chuckle, “True.”

Mickey laughed as well, “With Kairi on the other side, we’ll be out of here in no time once we find Aqua.”

Riku nodded, then turned to Sora, “It’s a little different than the adventures we thought we’d go on as kids, right?”

“Huh?” Sora frowned in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Riku frowned as well. Did Sora not remember? “When we explored the secret place because you thought a monster was there. I said we’d go on adventures...” He trailed off, hoping his friend would catch on. 

“We did?”

“Yeah, we were three or four,” Riku muttered, stepping closer to the brunet. “Before Kairi came to the islands.” Before it all got confusing.

“Oh, okay.” Sora grinned, “I guess I kinda forgot about the time before Kairi got there.”

“Oh...” Riku said softly, taking a bit of comfort in Sora’s bright grin, but still, something seemed wrong.

Hadn’t Sora teased him about looking for monsters right before they started building their raft?

“C’mon, Riku,” Sora took his hand again so they could catch up with Mickey who had starting to scout ahead, “It was a long time ago. No reason to worry...”

Great, now Riku really was worried...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's taking a moment to get the plot revved up and the shorter chapters. I'm trying to get things as even as possible between Kairi and Riku's POV and trying to keep it more or less "cutscene" length. Some cutscenes are longer than others... Things will start moving next chapter!


	5. Kairi: soup and stories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been one of my favorite chapters to write so far, as it fills in a moment we don't get to see too much of in Kingdom Hearts: why Kairi and Riku are friends. I hope you guys like my interpretation of that moment.

_“Do you really think this will work?” Riku asked dubiously as Kairi stirred the bowl of warmed soup in front of them._

_Kairi frowned, “Stop doubting me.”_

_“...fine.”_

_She heard the silver-haired ten-year-old let out a sigh, and she resisted letting out one of her own. She considered Riku her friend, but sometimes he could be...irritating. Especially if Sora wasn’t around to balance him._

_Unfortunately, the brunet was sick with one of his rare, once-in-a-blue-moon, colds. The three had planned on rowing over to the play island today with Riku’s new rowboat, but they decided to postpone that trip till Sora was better._

_After Riku dismissed all of Kairi’s alternative suggestions as too girly or not fun without Sora, the redhead decided that the only option was to make Sora better._

_So, chicken soup it was._

_“I think it’s ready,” Kairi said, “You got the--”_

_“Here.” Riku passed the thermos he had unearthed from the depths of the cabinets earlier._

_Kairi quickly poured the soup in the container. “Right. You got the other thing?”_

_Riku held up the storybook. “I still don’t see how this is gonna help.”_

_“Just wait and see!” Kairi offered a grin and closed the thermos._

_They made their way back to Sora’s, begging and pleading with his mother before they could be let into Sora’s room._

_Sora was half asleep when the entered, but he perked right up when Riku ruffled his hair. “Riku?” Though he was stuffy and pale, his grin still lit up the whole room. “Kairi, too?”_

_“Yep!” Kairi grinned, “We brought you soup and a story!”_

_“Huh?”_

_Riku huffed and looked at Sora’s comforter. “Kairi says it’s what she could remember from before.”_

_“Yep!” Kairi grinned, “I think someone used to feed me soup and read me a story when I was sick, and then I would get better. So, Riku’s gonna read a story while you eat!”_

_“Hm, okay!” Sora grabbed the thermos, and the spoon Kairi provided. “What are you gonna read, Riku?”_

_Riku began flipping through the book with a frown. “I dunno. Fairy Tales are stupid--”_

_“No, they’re not!” Kairi and Sora protested at the same time._

_“Just close your eyes and pick one!” Kairi suggested, taking a seat on Sora’s bed near his feet._

_Riku grumbled but did as he was told, closing his eyes and flipping to a random page. When he opened them, he frowned at the title found in the upper margin but obligingly thumbed to the beginning._

_“East of the Sun, West of the Moon.” Riku read, “Once there was a fisherman who had several children...”_

_Kairi was planning on only half listening to the story, but as Riku continued, she found herself drawn in. The youngest daughter of the fisherman taken by a bear to live in a castle. Sleeping each night with a strange man in her bed. It sounded a bit scary. But the girl in the story never showed any fear, at least until curiosity got the better of her and she failed in breaking the curse the bear was under. The bear was really a prince. Since the girl couldn’t break the spell, the troll queen took the prince away._

_“The fisherman’s daughter was left standing in the empty land that used to hold the castle,” Riku continued, “watching as the skyboat pulled by magic fish rose higher and higher into the air, till both it and its riders were out of sight...” He trailed off, closing the book slightly._

_“It can’t end there!” Kairi protested, maybe a little too loudly, for Riku looked at her sternly, placing his finger to his lips. She then turned to see what he was looking at and found Sora asleep, an empty thermos in his hand._

_“I guess he just needs to sleep it off.” Riku sighed, “I told you fairy tales were stupid.”_

_Kairi let out a sigh, “You just have to believe in them. They may not be real necessarily, but...” She thought, trying to find a way for him to get it. “You believe there are other worlds, right?”_

_“Of course,” Riku crossed his arms, “You’re proof of that.”_

_“But before I came here, you believed in them without any proof right?”_

_Riku’s frown deepened, but he didn’t answer. Kairi took that as agreement._

_“Sometimes believing in something is enough,” Kairi put a hand on her chest, over her heart, “Sora and I like the fairy tales because we believe in the values they tell us.”_

_“What, like curiosity can get someone else hurt?” Riku pointedly turned back to the story._

_“I_ know _it doesn’t end there.” This time it was Kairi’s turn to grumble. Though she never heard the story before, it_ couldn’t _have ended there._

_After a long moment, during which Riku watched Sora sleep, the silver-haired boy finally answered. “It doesn’t.”_

_Kairi resisted the urge to shout “I told you so!” She figured it wouldn’t be helpful._

_“I think Mom read that one to me once,” Riku continued, absently curling the corners of the book with his fingers. “The girl goes on a search for the prince and travels the four corners of her world to do so. I think the winds help her, or something. And at the end, she rescues her prince.”_

_“So it’s a happy ever after?” Kairi confirmed, smiling when Riku nodded._

_They sat for a moment longer, the silence only broken by Sora’s occasional snores._

_“You know Riku. We can be friends too.”_

_“We are friends,” Riku argued, but she could tell he was only half serious._

_“No, you’re friends with Sora, and I’m friends with Sora. We never really get the chance to hang out together. You always call my ideas girly and I don’t like fighting.”_

_“If you’d just practice,” Riku grumbled but trailed off._

_“I mean...” She sighed, “I want to be your friend, too.” She huffed and looked back at Sora, who chose that moment to snore loudly. “Besides, Sora needs both of us to watch out for him. He is kinda a handful...”_

_“I guess I could use some help.” Riku shrugged._

_“Great! It’s a promise!” She grinned back at him, but the grin turned to a confused frown when he held out his pinky finger in response._

_He smirked at her confusion, “What? You said it’s a promise, so...” He offered his pinky finger closer, but Kairi wasn’t sure what he meant by that._

_After a moment, he rolled his eyes and gently grabbed her hand, “Here, it’s like this.” He manipulated her fingers till she was holding her own pinky out, then linked her pinky finger with his. “It’s called a pinky swear. Neither of us can break it now.”_

_“A pinky swear?” She looked at her pinky finger. It didn’t feel any different, but if Riku said so then... “Okay!”_

_He let out a smile, one of the first ones Kairi had truly seen._

_Maybe now things would be different._

“Kairi?”

Kairi gasped, startled out of her memories. They had taken a short break in the hallway between floors, a little tired out after fighting off Captain Gantu again. It had been nice to see Lilo and Stitch, even though neither alien dog nor girl remembered them.

Just like in Wonderland. And Traverse Town before that.

“What were you thinking about?” Goofy wondered.

She grinned, “Just about this time when Sora was sick. Riku and I took him soup and read a story. We made a promise that day. To watch over Sora.” She huffed, remembering that after that, she and Riku bonded more over some of Sora’s antics until they could truthfully say that they were friends with each other. “It’s funny though. Riku picked the story out at random, and it became one of my favorites. So much so that I’d make him reread it again when I got sick. It was about a fisherman’s daughter who had to save her prince from an evil witch. Riku...” She couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought now. “Riku used to tease me that one day I’d have to be the same Sora from some trouble he got himself into.”

She and Riku had really connected over their mutual love of Sora, which eventually branched out into other topics as well. Eventually, Riku came to her just as often as he went to Sora in order to vent and problem solve.

At least until those last few months leading up to that night.

Kairi shook herself out of those thoughts. “Sora has a habit of getting himself into trouble. I hope Riku’s keeping up on his end.”

“I’m sure he is!” Goofy reassured her. “Him and the King. They can keep Sora safe.”

“I hope they keep each other safe too!” Kairi said, “We need to find all three of them.”

“That’s right!” Donald grinned. “So let’s get going!”

Kairi nodded and pulled out the next card.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" is one of my favorite fairy tales. It's a bit like Beauty and the Beast but has so much more. It's originally a Scandinavian fairy tale though, so I had to tweak it a bit to match an island setting. The bear thing should probably change too, but I honestly couldn't think of any sea type creature that would make it work, so I just decided that Destiny Islands must have bears. :D


	6. Riku: friends and strangers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There may be a bit of a lull between this chapter and the next one. I'm having to reread all the chapters I wrote so far because I found a plot hole. (Not that Kingdom Hearts isn't already full plot holes...so I guess my story would fit in??)

“Maybe this way?” Mickey hesitated to go down one path, “Or...”

“How’d you find her before?” Riku questioned, eyeing the great ball of darkness in front of them.

It didn’t look friendly and Riku was half sure it was eyeing them back.

“Hmm, well... I followed the light.”

“What light?!” Riku shouted, glancing around them. He couldn’t see any light.

Well, outside of the brilliance that seemed to radiate from Sora and Mickey. It wasn’t a physical glow, per se, but it was just a feeling he had.

“Riku?” Sora took his hand, “C’mon, don’t get mad. The realm of darkness is a big place. Maybe she’s too far away to see right now, but... well... I’m sure we’ll have to find her eventually.”

Riku took a deep breath, feeling some of his anxiety and fear leave his body. He couldn’t lose it now, couldn’t give into the darkness just cause he was frustrated. How lame would that be? “You’re right.” He offered Sora’s hand a squeeze, “Thanks, Sora.” He then turned to Mickey and bowed politely, “I’m sorry...Your Majesty.”

Mickey nodded and let out a small laugh, “It’s alright. I understand.”

They had reached a fork in the path ahead, with both roads looking sketchy. “So... do we flip a coin or...”

“Let’s just go this way,” Sora said, slipping his hand out of Riku’s and heading down the path to the left. “It feels... right. If I’m wrong, we can always turn back?”

“Sounds good to me,” Mickey said, following behind.

Sora took the lead for a while, Mickey and Riku following behind.

“You know... it’s weird. I was about to pick the other path...” Mickey said quietly, so only Riku heard him. “But Sora seemed so sure about going this way... maybe something’s calling to him.”

“Yeah...Maybe...” Riku half wondered if it was Kairi.

They walked for some ways before they heard it.

In the distance, there was a loud boom followed by a cackle that Riku almost thought was thunder.

A storm?

“There!” Mickey pointed in the direction of the blast, “She must be in trouble. C’mon!”

Riku and Sora both summoned their blades and raced right behind Mickey. As they approached the source of the sounds, Riku could feel the cackle in the air of lightning magic, followed shortly by the heat of a very, very strong firaga spell.

“Farewell!” a woman’s voice called out. There was a flash of light magic. In the faint afterglow effect, Riku could make out a heartless dissipating, revealing a woman with blue hair.

“Aqua!” Mickey called out, rushing to her aid. After casting a few fire spells of his own, he healed Aqua with a curaga, which the woman desperately needed. 

“Mickey!” She answered.

It _was_ the same woman who was on the beach so long ago.

Riku didn’t have much time to dwell on that thought. He quickly dispatched a few of the heartless that had started making their way towards him and Sora. The brunet dispatched a few fire-based heartless with a well-placed series of blizzard spells.

Riku admired how well he was able to control his keyblade. He didn’t even know Sora could _carry_ one till the brunet had to defend Riku at the door till they could get to Mickey. But Sora took to the blade like he was made for it.

A sudden flare of heat behind him against startled Riku out of his thoughts.

He could admire Sora’s keyblade skills later.

Turning quickly he swung a few hits at the heartless who had snuck up behind him. The heartless looked like it was laughing, then turned into a bright ball of flame, swinging up high and then.

Aiming right for Sora’s unprotected back.

“Sora!”

“Freeze!”

The woman’s shout echoed his own warning and the fire demon dropped to the ground, frozen solid.

One quick swing from the woman and the heartless vanished.

Riku quickly nodded his thanks to the woman, then ran to Sora.

“Sora! Are you okay? Do you need a heal spell?”

Sora turned to face him.

And Riku forgot how to breathe. But not because he was admiring Sora.

There wasn’t a single spark of recognition in Sora’s eyes. Riku felt like a stranger.

“Who are--?” Sora cut himself off. “Sorry. We're-- you’re my friend right? And, something else?” He shook his head, evidently trying to clear his thoughts.

Riku felt his heart stop. “Sora? C’mon... this is no time to goof around.”

“Goof?” Sora blinked, “I traveled with someone named Goofy... just for a little bit, but you’re definitely not him.”

“Sora!” Riku panicked, grabbing his friend’s shoulders and shaking him. “C’mon! Snap out of it! It’s me! It’s Riku!”

“Riku?” Suddenly, as if a fog had lifted, the brunet’s eyes cleared, sparkling in recognition. “Riku! Right! Riku!” He laughed and grabbed Riku’s hand quickly. “You’re here!”

Riku blinked, dislodging his hand from Sora’s but only so he could grip the brunet’s shoulders again, “I feel like I should be saying that to you. What happened? For a second you--”

“Yeah, it’s weird.” Sora grinned, but it wasn’t quite as bright as it had been earlier. “For a moment there...it-- it was like I kept hitting a brick wall when trying to remember your name.” He looked down, “Maybe this place is getting to me. I--I can’t remember how we met.”

Riku flinched and squeezed Sora’s shoulders, “I accidentally stepped on your sandcastle when you were three. You were so mad until we were able to rebuild it.”

“Oh...” Sora’s brow furrowed, “Okay, if you say so!”

“Hey!” Riku tried to smile, “I know so.” He didn’t think his grin quite reached his eyes.

Sure... Sora was very young then, but Riku was sure he remembered it. Or at least knew the story. Sora’s mom used to tease him about it all the time, especially if he came in complaining about something Sora had accidentally broken. She’d just smile and tell him that Sora was just making up for the sandcastle, and then remind Riku that, just like the sandcastle, these things could be mended. Sora was almost always with him for those moments.

It was such an important moment in both of their lives, or at least Riku had thought. Maybe it wasn’t as important to Sora.

Or maybe something was worse than he had feared. It wasn’t just a matter of Sora having difficulty remembering a name. Riku had definitely been a stranger to the brunet just a few moments ago.

Now though, Sora seemed like he was back to normal, grinning brightly and offering Riku a potion he had found in his pocket.

Riku hoped that it was just a one-off incident... but he highly doubted it.

Something was definitely wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay we met up with Aqua, but... oh boy... Sora... Sora, Sora Sora... You just live to give Riku mini heart attacks, don't you?


	7. Kairi: radiant memory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick short update.

Kairi groaned she opened the door into yet another white hallway. “Another floor?” She let a sigh leave her lips.

“Well, it does seem like there’s no end to them.”

The voice was quiet and almost right in her ear. Kairi barely held back a shriek before realizing it was just Jiminy. She had forgotten about the little cricket that was recording their adventure. He was just so quiet usually.

“But you shouldn’t worry,” Jiminy continued, hopping to the floor, “We’ve solved bigger troubles than this.”

“Exactly!” Goofy exclaimed, walking out into the hallway behind her.

Kairi frowned. No matter how many rooms she opened in the worlds created from the cards, Donald and Goofy could never directly follow her into battle, making her rely on those stupid cards. It was so frustrating and she had nearly been caught unaware on a few occasions.

She supposed it was good practice to fighting on her own. Sometimes neither Goofy nor Donald's card would appear until the match was nearly over. So she had to rely on her own skills, relearning combos she knew she had learned before, as well as practicing her magic, which was coming back slowly but surely. 

The only time they came to her normally was when she met up with an old friend, like Ariel and Flounder just now (though she still wasn't sure how she was able to walk and _breathe_ underwater.) Donald and Goofy were able to talk and interact with their old friends as well. And then sometimes those friends would also turn into cards. Thankfully, some of those cards stayed with her when she left the world area, like Stitch and Cloud, but others remained fully attached to the world they came from. 

Was this part of the magic in this castle? Or was it the work of those guys in black? If so, why purposely make something so damn confusing?

“What do you think, Kairi?”

“Huh?” She blinked, clearing her thoughts and finding everyone staring at her. She blushed and rubbed at the back of her head, “Oh, sorry! I was just thinking of something else.”

“Goofy said that this place reminded him of that castle we were all in. But none of us can remember the name.”

“Castle?” Kairi blinked, “What do you mean?”

“You know, that place where we found Sora again,” Goofy said, raising a finger in the air, as if a lightbulb went off over his head, “When Sora wouldn’t wake up, and you were so worried.”

“Yeah! But then Riku’s sacrifice woke him!” Donald agreed. “I can remember it like it was yesterday.”

“Oh, yeah.” She thought about it. How could she have forgotten that? It was when she realized that Riku was in love with her best friend. “That was in a castle?”

“Yep!” Goofy nodded, “I remember there were these weird elevator contraptions. And the spooky dungeon...”

“And the library!” Kairi suddenly remembered. “Right! It was always full of sunlight. It was my favorite place to hide in!”

“Hmm?” Jiminy questioned, “What do you mean?”

“When I would play with Grandma!” Kairi explained, “She would always take me to the Radiant Garden castle library and I’d hide among the shelves.” She looked down, “It’s so strange. That memory just came back to me. Playing in the library and listening to Gramma as she told stories...” She crossed her arms in thought, kicking the ground as if trying to jar a few more memories loose. “I think I had some friends too...” The faces of her friends were a little blurrier though. There was an ache in her heart when she thought of it.

Who... were they?

She frowned. "It's strange, I can remember playing with my other friends... but I can also remember playing with Riku and Sora too." She rubbed her head. "Did-- did we all play together?" That didn't make sense either. When she remembered playing with Sora and Riku, it was on a beach with sand...

Or was it in a garden? 

They were rather young. Maybe, before everything got broken up, Riku and Sora lived near the castle too. It's possible they had forgotten, just like she had. 

“Hmm, it may be an effect of this place.” Jiminy was thinking, “To lose is to find... and to find is to lose.” He looked up at Kairi in curiosity. “And Radiant Garden though, you sure that’s what it was?”

“Yes!” Kairi was absolutely sure about that. “Check with your journal!”

“Oh, of course!” Jiminy nodded, pulling the small book out of his jacket. “Should have done that first.” He opened the pages, then jumped up with a small shout. “It’s empty!!”

“Huh?” Kairi knelt down to lean in closer. As Jiminy flipped through all the pages, every single one was blank. “What the--?”

“All that hard work,” Jiminy sniffed and Kairi picked him up in lieu of a hug, trying to comfort him as his tears fell, “All of it, gone!”

“It’ll be okay Jiminy!” Kairi assured him, “When we’re out of here, Donald, Goofy and I will help you rewrite it! I promise!”

That seemed to cheer the cricket up a bit, and he put the book away. “Well, maybe after we leave this place, the words will go back to where they were.”

Kairi, Donald, and Goofy nodded in agreement.

Jiminy hopped back into the tiny home he made in Kairi’s pocket, and the three continued up to the door at the end of the hallway.

“Just two cards left,” Kairi said, holding them up, “Any preferences?”

As they all looked over both of them, she wondered who would meet her when she ran out of cards.


	8. Riku: meetings anew

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was one of the more difficult to write. Still not 100% sure if I have Aqua right. And I keep forgetting about poor Mickey... I had to write myself a big note that says "Mickey is still here!!"

“How did you guys find me?” The blue haired woman asked after checking that all of the heartless were gone. “Was it the light again?”

“Uh, sorta,” Mickey said, passing her one of the few remaining potions. “I guess we got lucky. Sora picked the direction that led us to you.”

“Sora?” Aqua turned as if properly seeing the brunet and Riku for the first time. “Oh... so it _was_ the same two boys...And who’s Kairi?”

“Our friend,” Sora grinned, “She’s still on the other side, but I’m sure we’ll see her soon.”

It was said with such confidence and positivity, that Riku couldn’t help but grin, ruffling the brunet’s hair. He reached into his pocket and felt the rough edges of Kairi’s lucky charm. He made a promise to return it, and it was one he intended to keep.

When teal eyes glanced over at the woman though, she didn’t look as reassured.

“I know we met when Sora and I were younger,” Riku began, holding out his hand, “But it’s nice to see you again, I suppose.”

After a long moment, Aqua grinned shaking his hand, then ruffling Sora’s hair. “I wish we could meet again under better circumstances.” She turned her attention back to Mickey. “The worlds were all restored I think. I haven’t come across any fallen worlds I recognized. Just more of the same--” She waved a hand, motioning at the dark glowing stones and rocky terrain around them.

“Yeah!” Mickey nodded, “Kairi defeated Ansem, then Riku and Sora helped her close the door.”

“I thought you said it was just Riku on this side...” Aqua trailed off, looking at Sora in confusion.

“Well, I couldn’t leave him here alone!” Sora grinned, wrapping an arm around Riku’s shoulders, “I made a promise right? To keep him safe?”

Riku had forgotten the particulars of the promise. He was pretty sure it should have been the other way around: him keeping Sora safe. But he was glad for the brunet’s company nonetheless. It made the dark a little less overbearing.

Aqua’s gaze had softened and she gave a small smile, “That’s right.” She ruffled brunet spikes again, reaching up to ruffle Riku’s hair as well in fondness then straightened up. “We should keep moving. Those monsters--the heartless you said?” At Mickey’s nod, she continued, “They seem to be attracted to light.”

“And hearts,” Riku said. “That’s what they’re after.”

“Right.” Aqua frowned, “All the more reason to keep moving. Does anyone know a way out?”

Riku shook his head, and he saw Mickey mirroring the action beside him. Curiously though, Sora was silent. When Riku turned to look, he found that the brunet’s eyes had glazed over.

Not again.

It was eerily similar to the look Sora had just moments ago when he didn’t recognize Riku. And it put the silver-haired boy on edge. That was twice now within a few minutes. What was wrong with him?

Quickly, he put his hands on his friend’s shoulders and shook lightly. “Sora? C’mon, this is not time to fall asleep!”

“Huh?” Sora blinked, glancing around. His gaze seemed to narrow and focus on Aqua for a second before returning to Riku. “Hey, who are--”

“Riku, I’m Riku!’ He shook Sora a little more, knowing he wasn’t completely managing to keep the panic out of his voice. “C’mon, focus! We grew up together on the Destiny Islands.”

“We did?” The words were said as a question before the brunet shook his head, a hand coming up to touch his forehead as if Sora had a headache. “We did.” He answered his own question with confidence and he turned to Riku, the haze clearing. “Sorry. For a moment-- I thought for sure I had grown up someplace else. It was more like a castle, but I was older...” He trailed the last part off as if it were a question, then shook his head again. “I-- it’s gone now. But, what was that place? Felt familiar.”

Riku frowned, then gave in to an urge he had ignored for longer than he cared to admit, and hugged his friend tightly, kissing the top of his head. “I don’t know, but you remember the islands now?”

“Yeah...” Sora nodded and seemed to snuggle closer into Riku’s chest. “But the memories feel fuzzy. While we walk can you tell me what it was like? Growing up with you? That way, even if those memories do disappear, I’ll at least know that they existed.”

“I--” Would that work? It didn’t seem like it could, but if it made the brunet feel better... “Yeah, I can do that,” Riku huffed, trying for a smile and pulled away just enough so he could talk better. “Do you remember that time you got sick? Kairi and I came over to read you a story.”

“I--” There was a moment where Sora frowned but then brightened in recognition. “Yeah. You said that fairy tales were stupid.”

Riku blushed, and ruffled the brunet’s hair, pulling away completely but taking Sora’s hand instead. “Yeah well, I wasn’t as smart as you two, now was I?”

Sora giggled but listened diligently as Riku recounted the memory and several others.

Riku only chanced a look at Aqua and Mickey once. The mouse was looking concerned at Sora’s missing memories but was also focused on keeping an eye out for danger as Riku and Sora were more distracted. Aqua though...

Aqua was looking at Sora with a strange contemplative look on her face. As if Sora held some sort of answer she had long been looking for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sora, what is going on in your funny little head?...hmm... 
> 
> Another short chapter, but the good things with short chapters is that they are easier to edit, so the next chapter should be out on Friday, hoping I get through my flight alright. :D


	9. Kairi: family relations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here is where things might get a bit more AU than they already are? Kinda? :D 
> 
> Sorry the update is a bit late. I got to my destination okay, but today was busier than expected...

Kairi was getting used to this rhythm. Open door, fight heartless. Open more doors, fight more heartless. Avoid the bottomless darkness room card (too many ambushes), prize the moment of reprieve cards when she needed the rest, and hit absolutely everything in case it dropped a card. Or those strange gems the moogles counted as munny. Then reach the end of the rooms, meet up with friends that she had forgotten till they were right in front of her, fight whatever villain that appeared, and then exit into another bright white hallway. Only to start the whole process over again after climbing the next staircase.

She was curious though as to why the worlds seemed to leave physical traces left behind. Especially if they were just supposed to have been created from her memory. Right now she was shaking off the sand from Agrabah for her skirt and hair. Was it because she knew there _should_ be sand that there _was_ sand? Or was it just another trick? Or--

She sighed, it was useless to try and figure out the rules of this place. Though she was starting to understand this whole card business, even figuring out how to combine certain cards to create combos that even Riku would be jealous of.

“Psh,” Jiminy protested, pushing up sand that had gotten into Kairi’s pockets as well. “While I enjoyed seeing everyone, maybe next time it shouldn’t be during a dust storm.”

“Yeah,” Kairi laughed, shaking some more sand out of her hair. Goofy and Donald didn’t seem to be as affected, protected from a majority of the grainy dirt by whatever pocket dimension they had been pushed into.

She took a step further into the hallway, frowning when she felt something shift in her shoe. Rolling her eyes, she took it off and tilted it. A veritable pile of sand poured out.

She couldn’t help but chuckle a little bit. It was just like when she was younger. Always tracking sand everywhere.

She frowned. The memory wasn’t quite right. Was it sand? No...it would have been mud--or dirt, depending on if the gardeners had watered recently.

_“C’mon, Sis, let’s go play!”_

_“I can’t Kairi... what if I get dirty?”_

_“You know Gramma can always clean our clothes, N-----”_

_“Just let her draw...she can join us later...”_

_“Aww... but R------”_

Kairi stopped breathing.

Was that--?

“Oh!” Kairi exclaimed.

Goofy and Donald stopped from where they had been walking ahead. “Huh?”

“Back at my home. In Radiant Garden. I used to play with these two other kids!” Kairi was excited at how fast the memory came back. _How_ could she have forgotten about them?

“You mean Riku and Sora?”

“No, no-- I mean-- them too. But...” Kairi sighed, her excitement fading off as she realized exactly what she had forgotten. “Argh! How could I have forgotten them?! She was my own sister, and _he_ was always with us!” She let out a sigh and kicked the pile of sand that had formed, scattering it across the floor.

“A sister?” Jiminy emerged from where he was hiding. “Gosh, Kairi. I think this is the first time you’ve mentioned a sibling...”

“Well,” Kairi sighed, leaning against one of the giant urns. “That’s just it though. I think something happened when I was younger. I didn’t even remember I had a sister till a few seconds ago. I think we were separated when we were young. And we had another friend we used to play with. A blonde boy... his face kind of reminds me of Sora. Maybe they were related?” She frowned. The more she tried to picture his face, the more she could only remember Sora’s face.

“Hmm.” Jiminy hummed, “Well, what about your sister?”

“Oh, yeah.” Kairi grinned, “She was quiet. I’m pretty sure she was younger than me She preferred to draw in her picture book over playing hide and seek in the gardens. But we both loved listening to grandma’s stories.”

“Gosh, Kairi, seems like coming to this castle was a good thing for you,” Goofy observed. “You’re remembering all kinds of stuff.”

“To find is to lose, and to lose is to find.” Jiminy again recalled the strange man’s words from earlier. “Kairi, maybe you’re remembering things because you’re losing other memories?”

Kairi frowned, “I don’t think so?” She elected not to mention forgetting about Jiminy earlier. She was pretty sure that was just because the cricket was normally just very quietly observant. “I mean, I know we’re looking for Riku and Sora and your King.”

“That’s right!” Donald agreed. “I don’t think we could ever forget about them!”

“Right,” Kairi agreed, thinking it over. “Maybe that guy was just being cryptic. I can’t think of anything I’m missing. Just things I’m remembering now.”

“Well, what were your friends’ names?”

Kairi blushed, fiddling with the ends of her hair. “Actually, that’s the only thing I can’t remember.” A rush of air escaped her as she tried to think. “It’s like, right there...” She let out a groan.

“I’m sure it’ll come back to ya,” Goofy reassured her. “If going up this castle is what’s helping ya remember, then maybe we should keep going...”

“Right,” Kairi nodded, holding up her last card.

She only belatedly wondered what would happen once she ran out of cards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's okay Kairi! I'm sure you'll remember their names... eventually...


	10. Riku: grasping at straws

Sora’s optimism was fading.

And that worried Riku more than the constant barrage of heartless or the darkness that surrounded them.

The brunet didn’t say anything, always willing to offer a smile, but Riku could tell.

Sora’s memories were disappearing. Especially those that concerned Riku.

They would disappear in snatches; brief, otherwise unnoteworthy fragments of memory that would suddenly not be there anymore. Moments that they had just been reminiscing over one minute would disappear from the brunet’s memories the next. Their first meeting, Sora following Riku to Kindergarten until his mother fetched him back home, their adventures on the island until Kairi came.

“It’s weird,” Sora confided in him during a quiet moment when Aqua and Mickey were conferring over their next move, “It’s like... you’re fading from the memories, but I still know where you should fit in... Now all I can remember is Kairi and I playing on the beach together. Finding Kairi in the surf and running to tell my parents. Sharing a paopu fruit with her...”

“Sharing a _what?”_ Riku’s heart did that funny thing where it felt like it was trying to escape his chest. Luckily there were no heartless around to devour it if it did.

“Yeah, those star-shaped fruits...”

“I know what they are, Sora!” Riku shouted, quieting when Mickey and Aqua both sent him a disapproving look. The silver-haired boy rubbed his neck sheepishly. Mumbling out an apology. He took back to Sora, taking a deep breath and wrapping an arm around the brunet’s shoulders. “Look... I’m not sure what’s going on in that funny little head of yours, but that definitely never happened.” _Unless... no..._ Riku just teased Sora about sharing the fruit. Then Sora threw it back in the ocean and they all took the boat home. The next time he saw the boy or Kairi, they were reaching out to him.

He should have tried harder to grab their hands.

He shook himself out of those thoughts. They weren’t useful here.

“You and Kairi never shared a paopu fruit. At least, not to my knowledge.”

“Oh?” Sora frowned, “Then why...” he shook his head, “That memory is so clear, even as the others are fuzzier.”

“That’s impossible!”

It had to be.

After all, Kairi’s kiss didn’t work.

But then.... What did wake Sora up? Riku’s recollection of that event was hazy, more focused on keeping Ansem from hurting Sora or Kairi. But, he could remember standing over Sora, holding off the man who had possessed his body. When he next looked back, Sora was standing, running away. So obviously, he had woken at some point. But what was it that woke him? Maybe Kairi had done something... Sora was a pretty deep sleeper, maybe it just took a few minutes for that kiss to sink in. Riku sighed, shaking his head. If so, he was an _idiot_ for giving into Ansem so easily. No... Riku was an _idiot_ anyway. He should have never listened to Maleficent or to Ansem. Everything they told him was just lies.

Whatever had woken Sora up, it clearly wasn’t because of anything Riku had done.

“Are there any other memories that seem clearer than others?” Aqua wondered, taking a seat on Sora’s other side.

“I--” Sora shook his head, “Everything’s so knotted up. Nearly every memory of Kairi is as clear as you guys sitting next to me.”

“Like what?”

“I uh...” Sora crossed his arms, looking up in thought, “Like that paopu fruit thing. But you said that wasn’t real...”

_It wasn’t..._ Riku thought quietly.

“And... I don’t know. She used to read me stories when I was sick.” Sora trailed off after Riku flinched at that, “I’m sorry. I think I was asleep for a long time. My first memory waking up is of her though.”

_Right..._ Riku let out a sigh, starting to remove his arm from Sora’s shoulders.

The action seemed to startle the brunet though, and he quickly turned, wrapping his arms around Riku’s waist and holding on. “I’m sorry! I don’t know why that is. And I don’t know why it upsets you. But when I’m with you, the knotted jumble of memories doesn’t seem as scary.” His arms tightened till Riku relented and wrapped his arm around Sora again. “Please don’t let go.” The brunet’s voice was quiet.

Riku let out a quiet sigh, but obliged, squeezing the brunet tighter.

Aqua laid a gentle hand on Sora’s back. “It’ll be okay. Riku and I will take care of you. Mickey will too.”

Sora nodded, then glanced back at Aqua, running a hand under his eyes. “It’s weird. I get the feeling you said that to me before. And when we’re sitting like this...” He frowned, “There's this idea that flashes. It’s not a memory exactly. But a feeling. That we sat like this before and looked up at the stars.”

Aqua frowned, tilting her head. “I--We haven’t done that, but I look forward to watching the stars with both of you someday...”

Sora nodded, finally giving a small grin. Then he let out a loud yawn, leaning against Riku’s shoulder. “Mmmm... Can we just rest...here... for a...” ...and he was asleep.

Riku shook his head, rubbing his hand up and down Sora’s arm, hoping to keep him warm. Only the brunet would be able to sleep in the realm of darkness. Riku found some comfort in that; Sora asleep when there was work to be done, a symbol of normality in this otherwise abnormal place.

But the darkness seemed to be closing in, and they were no closer to an exit than before. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear... Riku has no idea that _he's the one who saved Sora back at Hollow Bastion._ And now Sora can't remember enough to tell him that. Oh dear oh dear, how dramatic. Kairi would be very disappointed in both of you... 
> 
> :D All is not lost yet though. This party is just getting started. The next two chapters will ramp things up a bit as the plot thickens for both Kairi and Riku.


	11. Kairi: a developed photo

Kairi was starting to get used to the bright light that signified entrance back into the hallways of Castle Oblivion.

It had been nice talking with Peter and Wendy. She had a feeling that she met them before though. And she was pretty sure she had flown before too...

“Well, well, somebody’s having fun.”

Kairi nearly jumped. She had been so used to wandering the hallways with just Donald and Goofy, but she did think she’d meet up with somebody sooner or later. She just hadn’t expected a feminine voice. She turned towards the staircase ahead and found a blonde woman sitting on one of the urns.

“What? Thought it was just those jerks in this place?” The woman scoffed. “Puh-leeze... you and I both know that a woman provides the voice of reason, right?”

Kairi frowned, “Usually it’s Riku who's the voice of reason in our group, but you do you.”

“That loser?” The blonde laughed, smirking “Seriously? Well, following the path of darkness wasn’t very reasonable, was it?”

The laugh put Kairi on edge, and she struggled against the urge to summon her keyblade. “What do you know about Riku?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know, _princess_?” the woman rolled her eyes.

“My _name_ is Kairi,” the redhead stressed. She was tired of people calling her princess like it was some kind of insult.

“And I’m Larxene.” The woman hopped off the urn and walked towards Kairi. “Now, that we know each other--”

“I’m not done talking,” Kairi interrupted, feeling a little bad for being rude, but this woman called Riku a loser and that was just uncalled for. “What do you know about Riku? Is Sora with him?”

“Psh, really? You’re asking about _them?_ Oh man, are _they_ are gonna be so disappointed or what?” Larxene giggled, “All this time, and you never even looked for them?”

“Them?” Kairi tilted her head. “Do--do you mean--” she cut off realizing that she still didn’t remember their names.

“And you _even_ forgot their names?!” Larxene gasped mockingly. “Your friend is bad enough, but you forgot your sister’s name? How heartless!” The blonde laughed like it was the most hilarious thing, “And I thought princesses of heart couldn’t turn into heartless, but now it’s clear. You just don’t turn into a monster.”

“That’s enough!” Donald shouted, brandishing his staff. “What do you want?”

“Just a chat,” Larxene smirked, “Girl to girl.”

“And duck and dog,” Kairi corrected. “You’re not getting rid of them.”

“And cricket!” Jiminy said, bouncing out of his hiding place. “You know, what you're saying isn’t very nice at all.”

Larxene rolled her eyes again, “What clued you in, insect?”

Kairi frowned, thinking back to something Larxene said. “You said they’d be disappointed. As if you knew them.” Her fist clenched, her keyblade coming to hand almost on instinct. “Are they here?”

“Bout time you got it...” Larxene waved her hands as if she couldn’t believe it took Kairi so long to connect the dots. “Yep, they're here, right in this castle. Held hostage by the bad guys. And of course, as the heroic little princess that could, is it not your job to save them?” She let out another mocking grin before her airhead demeanor was gone quick as a flash, her half grin morphing into a smirk as her leg kicked out, landing squarely in Kairi’s stomach. “Of course, I’m a bad guy... so you’ll have to go through me.”

The redhead let out a gasp as the impact pushed her backward and she landed heavily on the floor. Goofy immediately ran over to help her up, while Donald quacked in irritation.

“I’m okay,” Kairi wheezed, standing up after a moment. Something caught her attention in the corner of her eye. A piece of paper. Frowning, she picked it up, finding it to be a picture. Her, Sora and Riku... but also...

“Namine!” The name just came to her, “And Roxas!” There was an older lady in the picture, “Gramma!” She frowned again, “Where did this come from? Is it...mine?”

“Wow, you’ve been carrying that all this time and you never noticed?” Larxene laughed again, a sound Kairi was quickly becoming a little annoyed with.

The redhead huffed and looked back at the picture. She was pretty sure they were all in the library at the castle, Sora, Roxas and her all grinning widely at the camera, Namine shyly smiling, while Riku was half turned away with a frown and crossed arms.

_“Come stand for a photograph dear...”_

_“Okay, Gramma!” A childish giggle. “Come on Namine! The camera won’t eat you, I promise...”_

_“Yeah!” Bright blue eyes shined with happiness. “And even if it tried, Roxas and I would save you. Riku too...”_

_“Nah... Maybe the babies should get eaten...”_

_“Riku! Don’t be so mean!”_

She almost let out a giggle. She had this the whole time? This castle must be messing with her memories more than she thought...

“Now, since those jerks are taking so long, how about you and I just take a shortcut through the corridors of darkness?” Larxene offered a smile on her face, but not one that reached her eyes. “I’m sure that being separated from your sister must be so awful. How about I take you to her...” She held out her hand.

Kairi frowned, getting the same feeling she had when Riku had offered her a hand back at--back where? She shook her head. That didn’t matter right now. The point now was that she didn’t trust this woman. Kairi put the picture back in her pocket, feeling Jiminy take a hold of it for safekeeping.

How did Jiminy not notice it till now?

“No thanks,” Kairi said, gripping her keyblade. “I’ll save Namine and Roxas in my own way. Then we’ll go look for Sora and Riku together.”

She saw Larxene’s eyes widen, then narrow in derision. “Psh, fine. Take the long way, I’m sure your sister will appreciate it!” She then tossed Kairi a card.

The redhead caught it easily, finding that it quickly separated into a small deck of cards, similar to the world cards from before. Among them was Enchanted Dominion.

“This was your one chance. Next time I won’t be so nice.”

Kairi looked up at the woman’s final words before the blonde disappeared through a dark portal and they were once again left alone in the hallway.

“Well...” Jiminy wondered, hopping out of Kairi’s pocket to hover at her shoulder. “What now?”

Kairi looked back and Donald and Goofy. “I’m-- I’m gonna keep going. If that lady is right and Namine and Roxas are here, then I need to rescue them. It’s okay if you want to turn around and look for your King instead. I can catch up later.”

Donald narrowed his eyes, tapping his foot to the ground. “Aww, like we wouldn’t help you.”

“Donald’s right!” Goofy interjected, “Besides, your friend are our friends too. We’ll go rescue Namine and Roxas, then we can go find the King.”

“That’s right!” Donald quacked. “All for one and one for all!” He held out his hand, Goofy putting his on top.

“Right!” Kairi grinned, putting her hand in as well. “Together, we can do anything!” She then pulled out the cards. “So... we wanna pick by eeny meeny miny moe? Or...”

“I pick this one!” Donald pulled one out of her hands and flipped it over.

Kairi nodded, “Right, Monstro it is!”

She could do this. She had her friends by her side and in her heart. She would rescue all of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't particularly like Larxene... but I do like writing her... hmm... 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!


	12. Riku: through the door

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a longer chapter, and a bit of plot getting stirred up.

“We can rest here a bit,” Aqua said, pulling them all into a cave created from the strange glowing rocks. “You know, I’m really, really glad that the worlds were all restored, but it was nice finding extra potions and elixirs that got dragged into the realm of darkness.”

She shared her supplies anyway, and Riku took the potion with a thankful grin, propping Sora up and trying to wake him up enough to swallow a drop or two.

The brunet had started this habit sleeping nearly every hour, and Riku was scared to death of the lack of recognition in his eyes whenever he was awake, babbling about finding Kairi, playing with her when they were young. Other times he wouldn’t even mention Kairi or the islands, and instead stared at Aqua with a strange spark in his eyes, but not saying anything. Riku had taken to either carrying Sora piggyback style, or half dragging him along as they made their way through the dark realm. Sora could still call on his keyblade, but his grip on it was lax and getting worse.

“C’mon, Sora...” Riku pleaded, running a hand through brunet spikes. Blue eyes were open, but staring blankly “Snap out of it!”

Sora gasped, then his eyes cleared for a minute, staring at Riku with that same lack of recognition that Riku sadly found himself getting used to. “Oh... it’s you, again.”

“Of course,” Riku tried to grin, knowing that it didn’t quite reach his eyes, “Who else would it be?”

“I...” Sora trailed off, looking over at Aqua again where she was conversing quietly with Mickey, “Aqua?”

Aqua’s head shot up at her name, and she glanced over at Sora in curiosity. “Yes?”

“Where’s Terra?”

Riku frowned. Sora didn’t sound right. Though the silver-haired boy had noticed that his friend's voice had started to deepen since entering the realm of Darkness, this was just different altogether. Different inflections, different tone.

Riku wondered if he was the only one who heard it.

Meanwhile, Aqua had let out a small gasp, her mouth half open as she stared at Sora with a mix of confusion and hope. “...Ven?”

“Aqua, what’s going...on...?” Sora’s voice slurred as he began to fall back asleep.

“Sora!” Riku shook him, trying to get the brunet to stay awake. “C’mon...” He couldn’t keep falling asleep like this.

Sora shook his head, his eyes clearing a bit more. He pulled his knees to his chest, a gesture Riku was familiar with when Sora was a child, but not one he had seen in a long while. It only happened when Sora was feeling confused and scared. On instinct, Riku wrapped an arm around his shoulders, like when they were little. “What’s wrong, Sor?”

Sora shook his head again. “I don’t know what’s happening. I just-- all these images keep flashing in my head, but none make sense. I can’t remember you at all, even when my heart says I should...” He trailed off with a helpless shrug.

Riku tried not to let the disappointment show in his face. If Sora couldn’t remember him.

“Everything is just blurred in my head,” Sora tucked his knees under his chin. “I can’t remember why I’m here. The only memories that are clear are ones of Kairi. She came to save me, right?”

Only a little reluctantly, Riku nodded his head. She protected Sora better than he ever did.

“But...” Sora sighed, curling up into Riku’s embrace. “If the rest of my memories are so blurred, why are the ones of her so clear? And you say that some of them didn’t happen, or that you were there, even when the place where you should be is empty.”

Riku closed his eyes and sighed, squeezing his arm around the brunet, and felt his own heart break for Sora’s pain. “I don’t know. I wish I could stop it.” He bowed his head. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay...”

Riku felt a warm presence on his cheek. Startled, he opened his eyes, finding Sora’s hand wiping away something wet from under his eye. Was he crying? Then Sora reached out with his other hand, gripping Riku’s cheeks and pulling them apart, forcing Riku’s face into a sort of smile.

“There!” Sora grinned, “That looks better. And it’s okay that I can’t remember you. My heart knows you. It’s like... your heart is reaching out to mine, okay? So even without my memories, I still trust you and I don’t want you to be sad, so keep smiling okay?”

Despite the situation, Riku let out a half giggle and rubbed his cheek were Sora had pulled at it, his face breaking out into a true smile, if a small one. “Okay, I’ll try.”

“Good.” Sora nodded in satisfaction.

“Sora?”

With a start, Riku realized that they still had an audience and he felt his cheeks heat up a bit. He turned, finding Aqua staring at them with that same confused look when Sora had called out to her earlier.

“Huh?” Sora turned to look at her as well, now with none of that earlier recognition in his eyes.

“What did you mean earlier, when you asked about Terra?” Aqua’s voice was quiet and unsure.

“Who?” Sora tilted his head, “Who’s Terra?”

Aqua looked like she wanted to push, but backed off. “It’s-- it’s nothing. Must have just been my imagination.”

Riku frowned. They had all heard Sora ask about Terra. Why was she--

“We should keep moving.” Mickey offered instead.

Sora, with clarity and wakefulness that he had not shown in ages, leaped up and started walking. “Sounds good to me. The sooner we get out of here, the sooner we can get back to our friends, right?”

“Right!” Mickey agreed, and together they started down the path.

Riku trailed behind, under the guise of helping Aqua pack up supplies before catching up. “Why didn’t you ask Sora more about that other guy?”

Aqua sighed, “Because I’m not sure that was Sora talking.” She glanced at Riku, almost like she was testing to see how much he believed her.

He remembered how strange he found Sora’s voice when he had asked about Terra. “I think you’re right.”

She let out a sigh and started walking, but slower so that she and Riku could continue conversing. “Riku, has Sora ever-- growing up, I mean, has he ever...” She trailed off, apparently unsure what she was trying to ask.

“He’s never done something like this before,” Riku said, rubbing at his own head, trying to remember back to when they were really little. Didn’t something happen one night? Was it after--? “Who is this Terra guy anyway?”

“One of my best friends,” Aqua explained without hesitation. “It’s a long story...”

“Oh.” Riku wanted to ask more, but they had caught up to Sora and Mickey, who were deep in conversation about something else.

“I dunno,” Sora said pointing down one path, “I just-- part of my heart keeps pulling me in this direction.”

Mickey looked down, one hand on his chin in contemplation. “Interesting.”

“Sora,” Aqua asked, “Has your heart been pulling you in certain directions?”

“Huh?” Sora frowned, “Yeah, I guess.”

Riku wondered if it was pulling him back towards the realm of light.

Back towards Kairi.

“It is interesting though,” Mickey said, “It was following Sora’s direction that we ran into you again, Aqua.”

“Huh.” Aqua frowned. “Well, I guess we should keep following Sora’s decision.”

Yeah, Riku thought, at least until Sora falls asleep again. Then they’ll be left wandering in the dark.

Sure enough, Sora soon stopped walking, needing to lean against one of the glowing rocks. “I don’t get it,” his fist clenched up and he slammed it against the rock, the first true sign of his frustration. “ _Dammit._ Why am I so _tired_...?”

Riku frowned. Sora _never_ swore. And he sounded so angry too... Maybe this realm was getting to him. Hesitantly, the silver-haired boy offered an arm around him for support. He was shocked when Sora glared at him for a moment before blinking a bit, grinning, and leaning against him gratefully.

Riku tried to write it off as Sora being tired and grumpy but. Something seemed wrong.

“It might be this realm,” Aqua postulated, though even she didn’t look so sure. Evidently, Sora’s grumpiness was rubbing her the wrong way as well, as she was staring at the brunet with a grim sort of expression. “Though, that doesn’t explain why the rest of us aren’t as affected.”

Riku also wondered about that. Sora’s screwed up memories, his excessive tiredness, the strange voice he had spoken in.

Were they all connected?

“Hey!” Mickey called out, pointing ahead. “What’s that light?”

“Huh?” Aqua ran a little further. “Is that a door?”

Riku gasped. A door meant a way out. Quickly, he pulled Sora up onto his back, ignoring the brunet’s half-hearted protests, then jogged as best he could to join the others.

Sure enough, there was a door, much, _much_ smaller than the one he and Sora had closed earlier, more the size of the door to the shack back on the play island, but a door nonetheless.

And the heartless were already swarming towards it.

“Great, another door we have to close?” Riku grumbled, already making his way towards it.

“I don’t think so,” Mickey said, “I think it might be one that can lead us out of here.”

“We’ll need to hurry then,” Aqua said, already making a run for it, “Heartless are attracted to light, Any light. They’ll try to get through it too.”

Riku nodded and held on to Sora tighter before running to catch up.

They made it to the door just as the first of the Shadows were trying to squeeze through. The door was only open a crack, just enough to squeeze maybe one person through at a time. Riku was reminded of when it was the Shadow Sora trying to squeeze his way into the realm of Darkness.

To be with Riku.

Riku appreciated Sora’s sacrifice to be with him. Even with the pain of Sora looking at him with no recognition, the light in Sora’s heart gave Riku more comfort than he knew he deserved. But now... Maybe Riku would have to sacrifice that comfort for Sora to recover.

Aqua tossed her keyblade, dissipating the Shadows that had started to crawl through the doorway. “We can’t all make it through at once. Besides if we leave the door open...” She trailed off but they all got the idea. 

Riku reluctantly let out a sigh, “Maybe the door isn’t for all of us. It was Sora’s heart that led us this way. Maybe the door is for Sora alone.” He motioned to the brunet, whose head was resting on his shoulder, back in his half asleep state. “We might need to find another way out, but for now.” He shifted so that he carried Sora more in his arms, and walked towards the door.

The door had opened just enough that Riku might be able to push Sora through the gap.

The silver-haired boy sighed and looked at Sora’s sleeping face one last time. He had a slight smile on his face like nothing was wrong, and Riku couldn’t help but grin a bit. Always seeing the good in a situation before the bad, even asleep.

There was a shout behind him. When Riku turned, he saw some kind of mass coming towards them. Aqua and Mickey ran out to meet it, but it was clear they would need help.

“You’ll be okay,” Riku said, more to assure himself than the sleeping boy, kissing his forehead gently. “I’ll see you again, I promise. But for now, Kairi made a promise, too. She’ll take care of you.”

Then he half threw, half pushed Sora through the doorway. He couldn’t quite see what was on the other side except for a bright light that felt like it was burning him. He thought he could feel Kari through that door. He hoped she was waiting.

She made a promise after all.

Then Riku turned away from the door, summoning Soul Eater.

He had to help Aqua and Mickey stop the heartless from getting through. Until either the door closed on its own, or they could make it through themselves.

Together they would find a way to reach the realm of light.

He would see Sora again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry... But it'll get better? A bit?


	13. Interlude: Namine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fact that this chapter came in at Chapter 13 is a complete coincidence. I swear... 
> 
> On that note though, just as a warning, Larxene has a bit of a potty mouth... But lets be honest, if they were allowed to swear in the game, Larxene would still need a censor...

The door slammed open, startling Namine from her sketch and causing a dark streak to stutter across the paper.

“Why the FUCK does she _still_ remember those two?!”

Namine flinched and tried to curl up more. She was pale enough, why couldn’t she just disappear into the walls?

A hand slammed down on the table near her sketchbook. “Well?”

Namine swallowed around her dry throat. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t play dumb with me. Sora and Riku,” Larxene growled. “I _thought_ you were replacing them with yourself and that other zombie.”

Namine let out a small sigh. “I tried. It-- It doesn’t work like that. Kairi’s a princess of heart. She’s incorruptible like that.”

“So you say,” Larxene huffed.

“So I know,” Namine started with a little more confidence, but quickly looked back at the ground when she felt Larxene’s glare. “It’s complicated, the castle itself is helping me confuse Kairi. I’m not really taking away her memories of the connections she made with people in other worlds. Just... blanketing them.” She glanced back at Larxene. “Sort of like putting them in a jar on a high shelf that’s just out of reach. Out of sight out of mind? And I can only do that because they weren’t cemented into her heart. The chains were still pretty weak.”

She held up the drawing she had created, of her, Kairi, Sora, Riku... and the boy known as Roxas whom she hadn’t met yet, but felt like she knew. The picture was wrong, but it felt right. “I can’t just erase Sora and Riku away from Kairi’s memories. I can shift them around. Maybe suppress some of the little moments but I can’t erase them completely. They make her who she is today.”

Larxene scoffed, rolling her eyes, “What nonsense. The only thing that makes a person who they are is themselves.”

Namine quietly disagreed, but kept her mouth shut.

She didn’t like how Larxene was now casually tossing one of her daggers in the air.

“Perhaps not all is as off track as it seems.” Another voice spoke, a figure emerging from a dark portal. He removed his hood, revealing pink hair and cold blue eyes. “I’m sure Namine knows what she’s doing.”

Reluctantly, Namine nodded. “Yes. I need to push Kairi into helping the Organization... towards helping you...” She said the last part a little quieter.

The newcomer smirked. “And you can still do that even with Kairi’s memories of Sora and Riku. Can’t you...” His voice was oddly gentle, much like it had been when he had first found her here, in this castle, still clinging desperately onto the only light she had found in the dark. That bright shining chain that connected two people together. He gave her the sketchbook, told her to draw the picture of what the light represented. Helped her figure out what her powers were and how to use them.

He introduced himself as Marluxia. And he had a plan. A plan to make them all whole again.

“Well?” Marluxia asked again.

“Yes...” Namine admitted, having already started the process when it became clear that erasing them wasn’t an option. She looked down at the picture she had been drawing. Turning an extra card that Kairi had already carried into a picture had been relatively easy. Her odd powers over memory and the Castle’s magic already wanting to confuse and distract any invader, good or bad, worked well together in doing what the Organization wanted. What she wanted.

She did want this...right?

“Yeah, well, Sora we can work with. He was asleep once, shouldn’t be too hard to send him off asleep again. It’ll be difficult though if Kairi still has even impressions of good memories of that other brat.” Larxene surmised. “He won’t be as easy to force into sleep. Awake, he’ll be able to break our control over her and she won’t want to fight him if he ever escapes the realm of Darkness--”

“I doubt he’ll be able to do that easily,” Marluxia interrupted, placating the agitated blonde. “But I see your point.” He turned his grin on Namine, “I don’t suppose you still have a connection to that chain of memories, do you? The ones you held on to so tightly when we first found you?”

“I--” Namine thought guiltily of the stacks of drawings she kept hidden in the back of her sketchbook. The little moments preserved in the paper. She hadn’t meant to take them. But they were so bright and shining. Something that made her feel alive. But taking one moment led to her taking another and another and soon a whole collection of memories was contained within her sketchbook. “Yes. I have... most of them already.”

“Keep yanking on that chain,” Marluxia advised. “Take all of them.”

“But that will--” She cut herself off when Marluxia’s expression shifted into something dangerous and instead turned back to her sketchbook. Marluxia promised that if she did this then she could be someone real, not just a shadow or impression of someone else. To do that, Kairi needed to really believe. “Okay.”

“Besides, bright girl that you are, I’m sure you’re already figuring out what to replace them with. You won’t break the poor boy completely, just turn him into what we need. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes...” Namine nodded. The backup plan. In case Kairi ever found out the truth about _her._ She knew the redhead would do anything for her _real f_ riends.

She just wished it didn’t have to be like _this_...

“Larxene.” Marluxia turned his attention to their blonde comrade. “I believe now would be a good time to check on Vexen’s project in the basement.”

Larxene left with a smirk, Marluxia soon disappearing soon after to brood in his lair on the thirteenth floor.

Namine was left alone, more scared and confused than ever.

What had she agreed to?

\---

Deep in the basement of Castle Oblivion, a tall redhead completed his ‘rounds’ that mainly consisted of walking around aimlessly, contemplating how to best collect evidence of Larxene and Marluxia’s plan for a coup d’etat. He let out a deep sigh and stretched, wondering briefly how his new buddy was doing back at the Organization's castle. He felt a little bad leaving the poor blonde there with nobodies like Xigbar and Xaldin for company.

Suddenly, he nearly found himself on the ground after tripping over...A body? Frowning, Axel turned around and stared.

A brunet with spiky hair was curled up on the hallway floor, dead asleep. Even with Axel basically kicking him on accident, the boy had barely moved, only flinched and curled up tighter in sleep.

“Well, what do we have here?” Even Axel knew the friend of the keyblade hero by description alone.

Which meant...

Axel sighed. If Sora was asleep _and_ in a body... did that mean his new buddy was gone? Already? The redhead made a note to ask Saix during his report and worked on mentally preparing that letter without making it seemed like he cared too much. For now, though, he knelt down to pick up the boy who barely flinched, though he did nuzzle into Axel’s chest as if seeking comfort.

“R’ku?” The voice was tired, not even really awake.

Axel huffed but felt a small smirk taking over his face. “Sorry, bud. The name’s Axel. Got it memorized?”


	14. Kairi: memories anew

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the break! Had to get back home and into the swing of non-holiday life. Hope everyone had a safe and happy new year!

Kairi let out a huff as she climbed the stairs.

“What’s wrong, Kairi?”

Startled, Kairi turned to look at Jiminy, who was now perched on her shoulder. They had just walked out of another world from their memories. At least. Kairi was pretty sure it was from their memories.

She wasn’t even sure anymore. Though... seeing Pinocchio reunite with his father sent an ache through her heart. She had someone who cared about her like that once. She missed her Grandmother dearly.

An image flashed before her, fuzzy and indistinct. Two people who soothed her nightmares helped her with schoolwork...

Her parents?

She shook her head. No, she lived with her grandmother. That must have been some kind of dream. 

“Are you okay?” Goofy asked, putting a hand on her shoulder and startling her out of her thoughts.

Kairi sighed, nodding her head, but also taking the chance to lean against the urns in the hallway. Something had been bothering her, besides her heartache for home. 

“It’s just-- I’m angry, I guess.” She kicked back at the urn then scooted down to sit on the floor. Anger was a pretty unfamiliar emotion for her. She had been frustrated before, or upset. But rarely angry.

She wasn’t Riku, after all.

“What are you angry about?” Donald asked, coming up to sit down beside her, Goofy sitting on her other side.

“It's stupid but...Why did it have to be Larxene who reminded me of their names?”

“Of your sister, and your other friend?”

“Yeah.” Kairi sighed and pulled her knees up, “It’s just-- I can’t believe that I forgot about them, even though I know that we were separated when we were really little. Still... What kind of person forgets about their own family?”

“It’s not your fault,” Goofy reassured her, but Kairi didn’t quite believe him.

Maybe Larxene was right and she really was heartless.

“Well, I’m sure they would forgive you too,” Jiminy said, “What else do you remember about them?”

Kairi let out a smile, “Well, Gramma would read all of us stories. Me and Namine, Roxas and Sora... and Riku too, though he rarely stuck around long enough to listen... We used to run around the gardens too, Riku and Sora playing with their toy swords.” She frowned, “Or was it Riku and Roxas? I think Sora would help me pick flowers sometimes?” She shook her head to try and clear the confusion. But then one memory stuck out. “I think Riku got jealous about that. He shoved me one time because I wanted to pick flowers with Sora.” Flowers? Or seashells? But that didn’t make any sense. There was no sea near Radiant Garden.

“Well, he sounds like he may have been a bit of a bully,” Jiminy observed.

“Well.” Kairi shrugged, “I guess a bit. But he usually apologized later. And he’d do nice things sometimes.”

“Like what?” Goofy asked.

“Huh?” Kairi thought about it, “Oh, well, he uh...” She frowned rubbing at her head. “I’m pretty sure he did nice things sometimes...” But she couldn’t think of anything right now.

“Well, I’m sure he must have grown out of it at some point,” Jiminy observed, “Else you two wouldn’t be such good friends now.”

“Right!” Kairi agreed.

“Do you remember anything else from your childhood?” Donald wondered, “A favorite toy? Or what about your favorite bedtime story?”

“Hmm?” Kairi thought on it. “Well, there was one that Namine and I found... _East of the Sun and West of the Moon_. In it, it was the girl who rescued her prince. Namine used to tease that one day it’d be me saving Sora.”

“Well, you already did that!” Donald said.

“Yep! But now I’ll have to do it again,” Kairi sighed.

It was strange. Sure, Riku’s sacrifice woke Sora up, but why would Sora have gone with Riku unto the realm of Darkness? Even after he was turned into a heartless, Kairi knew she could have found a way to restore Sora’s original form on her own. Was it like in the story? When the evil witch flew away with the prince when the fisherman’s daughter couldn’t lift the spell?

The thought almost made her laugh. Riku definitely wasn’t an evil witch, but still. Sora was still in danger, because she hadn’t been strong enough to save him.

Either way, she would find a way to make it up to him. Namine and Roxas too. She would make up for her mistakes. That was a promise.


	15. Riku: wayfinders of all types

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the longer time between updates. (I'm not sure if it's actually been a long time or it just feels like a long time), but I've been stuck on one chapter and realized that I again have a bit of a plot point I need to address earlier, so I'll need to fix that before the next chapter uploads... and instead of doing that, I retreated into the AU Canon Divergence corner of Harry Potter fic... oops... 
> 
> I'm hoping to get the next few chapters out faster and it's my goal to finish this fic before KH3 releases. Wish me luck! just 18ish days to go!

Riku was kind of glad the door closed on its own, even if it meant they lost their chance at escape. A large number of shadows had created a sort of wave that had nearly taken out Aqua and Mickey. Riku gave assistance where he could, but he wasn’t exactly a master like those two.

But with the door closed, the heartless vanished, off to find some other source of light to torment.

“Why didn’t you go with him?!” Aqua shouted, and Riku flinched.

“There wasn’t time to do that and help you guys,” the silver-haired boy defended. “If you guys fell, there’s no way the door would have closed in time. Sora would have been in danger.”

Aqua scoffed, frustrated. “You still should have gone. We could have handled it.”

“I’m not leaving you guys behind just to save myself!” Riku huffed, “Sora needed to get out of here. Whether it was this realm, or something else, he wasn’t going to get better staying here. But someone had to defend the door.”

Aqua huffed some more but eventually just collapsed against a rock pillar and slid to the ground. Her anger quickly turned to resignation and sadness. Riku felt bad and even Mickey seemed at a loss.

Riku took a step closer to her, “I’m sorry. I--” He wished he could say that he would take it back, but if given the chance, he’d do the same thing over again.

“...I get it,” Aqua eventually admitted and offered Riku a soft grin in apology. “I guess we’ll both do anything to protect our friends.”

Riku smiled back and took a seat next to her, “Yeah. Sorry if me being here is adding onto your stress.”

“Nah.” Aqua shrugged. “I guess. I’ve been alone for so long, I’m not sure how to be around people again.”

Riku thought back to the islands. About wanting to be alone, not even wanting Sora around because the feelings he brought up were just too confusing. About not even confiding in Kairi anymore because he was jealous of seeing the two together.

Now though... He was glad that Sora was persistent in keeping him company, and that Kairi never let him push her away for too long. He didn’t like the idea of being alone.

He wondered if he could stand it as long as Aqua had.

_Probably would just give into the darkness sooner or later._

Riku shook his head. Those thoughts weren’t helpful. Instead, he stood up, holding out a hand to Aqua. After a moment, Aqua took it, and he used his momentum to pull her up. “Well, keep moving forward, yeah?” He couldn’t help but grin, “That’s something Kairi always said in school and stuff. Keep moving forward, even when things ahead looked tough.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the redhead’s good luck charm. Sora’s goofy hand-drawn face grinned back and Riku felt his heart ache a little.

Sora would be fine. He _had_ to be okay. 

“Hmm.” Aqua glanced over, “Is that--”

“It’s a wayfinder charm!” Riku grinned, gently rubbing his finger against the little charm in the center, “It’s a tradition on our islands. The watermen would carry these to guide them home after a long voyage. It connected them to those who were important. They’re based on the paopu fruit...”

“The star-shaped fruit!” Aqua exclaimed, and Riku looked up in shock that she knew of the legend. She pulled something out of her own pocket, a wayfinder charm created from blue glass and an odd metal charm in the center. “I... I read about that legend once. In a... I think it was in an old journal.” She frowned, holding the star-shaped charm so it caught the dim light of the glowing rocks. “I made them for me and my friends. Though... I think they were supposed to be made out of shells.”

“Traditionally, yeah, but yours is beautiful. And it still works, right?”

“Right!” Aqua grinned, holding the star close and then putting it back into her pocket. Then she looked down both pathways. “So, I don’t suppose anyone feels a pull in any sort of direction?”

Mickey and Riku shook their heads, and she let out a sigh before pointing ahead. “I guess we’ll just head that way then. That’s generally what I did before you guys got here. Just kept walking in a straight line.”

Riku supposed there were less logical ways to pick a pathway.

_It would have been nice if that door stayed open a little longer._

Teal eyes narrowed at the thought. It didn’t matter though. The door closed and Sora was safe. He made his peace with that. He decided as soon as he had found himself on this side of the door. He would do anything to keep Sora and Kairi safe. It was the least he could do after everything he had done.

_But you don’t even know where you sent him._

Riku paused in his walking. What if he did send Sora somewhere worse? There was light though. And light was good.

_Is it?_

He shook his head, instead choosing to remember brown spikey hair that was surprisingly soft when he found his face buried in it after one of Sora’s hugs. Bright blue eyes and lips that were always ready to turn up into a blinding grin. A stubbornness that never gave up, no matter the challenge, and heart that was always ready to open itself up to others. Sora was good, and Sora was light. So, the light must be good.

“Riku?”

His head shot up, startled at Aqua’s question. “Sorry. Just... lost in thought.”

“About Sora?”

Riku blinked. Was he really that easy to read? “Kinda. How’d you know?”

Aqua laughed, “Your eyes get all soft. It happened all the time whenever you looked at him.” She offered a grin, “You’re in love with him, right?”

Riku felt his cheeks heat up. _Was he that obvious?_ Maybe he was. Hopefully, Sora was too dense to realize it. He didn’t want the brunet feeling guilty over something like that.

_But the guilt would keep him close._

_Shut up_ , Riku told those thoughts, then returned his gaze to Aqua. “I-- yeah.” He nodded, running a hand through his hair. “I am.” He huffed out a laugh. “I don’t think I’ve ever admitted that to anyone before.” Not even Kairi. Of course, she was in love with Sora too so she might not have liked that too much.

He hoped that she would have been okay with it. He wouldn’t do anything to stop Sora when the brunet realized that he liked their redhead friend in return. He was just fine loving the brunet from a distance.

_If we never get out of here, from a distance is all it’s ever gonna be._

“Hmm,” Aqua murmured and Riku dragged himself from the negative thoughts, noticing her small sad smile instead. “Sometimes... I think keeping all that inside might do you more harm than good.” She raised a hand to her own heart, “I know it’s done me more harm than I thought it could. I just thought I had time.”

Riku frowned, wondering who she could have been talking about.

Aqua seemed to nod to herself before turning towards the path and began walking again. Ahead of them, Mickey had stopped till they caught up. Riku hesitated for only a moment before following.

“It’s funny,” Aqua started, then trailed off till Riku looked at her in curiosity. “When you were little you reminded me of Terra. And Sora reminded me of Ven. But now, I guess you and I have more in common.”

Riku blushed and shrugged. “I guess.” He didn’t really see it.

“We’ll see our friends again,” Aqua nodded to herself as if reaffirming something she hadn’t truly believed in for a long time. “And then we can tell them everything.”

_Maybe not everything..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't listen to the voices in your head Riku! They don't always have your best interests at heart!.... (Does that count as an unintentional KH pun?)


	16. Kairi: an old friend

“Well, that was an interesting trip,” Kairi murmured, mostly to herself, still feeling like she had to pick cobwebs out of her hair. “But at least they had a good Halloween.”

“Right!” Donald shook himself, then patted at his stomach, probably making sure that everything was back in place after his time as a mummy.

“Having fun wasting time?”

Kairi froze, hand still picking a stray cobweb out of hair. That voice!

Kairi turned quickly, “Riku?”

The silver-haired boy walking down the other set of stairs rolled his teal eyes. “Psh. I guess I should be grateful you at least remember my name.”

The words were harsh, but Kairi ran up to the boy all the same. “Of course I remember your name! I’ve been looking for you!” She offered a grin, “How did you manage to get here? What about Sora? Is he--”

“He’s just fine. Not like you care...” Riku trailed off, looking away.

Kairi frowned, “Of course I care, Riku. About both of you.”

“Psh,” Riku scoffed, “You can spare me those lies. We both know you never cared about me. I just got in your way, right?”

“What?”

“You were always just friends with me because you knew it would make Sora happy,” Riku continued, “Well, I’m done playing pretend.”

“That’s not true!” Kairi protested, but Riku just rolled his eyes at her words. She resisted the urge to stamp her foot. She was a keyblade master, not a child, but Riku always made her feel small when he was in this kind of mood. “Fine, don’t believe me. But what about Sora? Is he here?”

“Of course. But like I said. You can turn around and go.”

“Go?” Kairi was confused, “Why would I--? Riku, if you know where Sora is, then let’s go get him. We can go home together!” She then offered up a grin, “In fact, do you remember those two other kids we used to play with? Na--”

“Namine and Roxas?” Riku crossed his arms, “Geeze, about time you remembered. Your own sister too. That’s just pathetic.”

Kairi felt her cheeks flush. “Like you were any better? You telling me you remembered them?”

“Of course,” Riku rolled his eyes again and Kairi found herself wishing they’d get stuck that way like her parents warned her.

Parents? No... That’s silly, she never knew her parents. It must have been her Grandmother.

“But you always made us drop the subject when Sora and I tried to bring them up,” Riku continued, “So clearly you wanted to forget about them.”

“I... did?” Kairi couldn’t remember doing that. Why would she do something like that?

“Right.” Riku clenched his fist, and suddenly his whole outfit changed. Instead of his favorite yellow shirt and blue jeans, he was now wearing that awful darkness suit that set Kairi’s teeth on edge.

“They’re all here, and they wanted me to pass along a message,” Riku stated, summoning his blade. “They’re sick of dealing with you and your callous attitude towards their feelings. Namine used to cry because of you. Roxas hated that you always ran ahead without ever looking back. And Sora...” Riku huffed, gritting his teeth. “It’s not even worth telling you what you did to Sora!” He struck.

Kairi flinched, only bringing her keyblade up on instinct. “Riku, stop!” She had to bring her other hand up to press back against the weight of his blade. “We’re friends!”

“Don’t mock true friendship with the farce you and I put on for years.” Riku’s voice was harsh, and it was only from years of growing up with him that Kairi was able to detect the hint of tears as well.

Was he frustrated? Or sad? Because of her?

Kairi huffed and was finally about to push him away, “That’s enough!” She huffed out a deep breath. “I don’t understand why you’re saying such things, but they’re not true. You’re my friend Riku. And I just want to go home with all of you.” She knelt in her usual fighting stance. “And if they don’t want to see me, fine, but they’re gonna have to tell me that themselves. Even if you hate me for it, I will go through you if I have to.”

Riku huffed out a few deep breaths, evidently not expecting her to fight back so hard. Then he turned and ran.

“Riku!” Kairi called out immediately giving chase, “Riku, wait!”

She chased him all the way up the stairs, hearing Goofy and Donald following behind her. Her head was full of confusing thoughts. How could Riku think that she wasn't his friend? Sure, he may have been a bit of a bully when they were younger, but he grew out of it. And when they saw each other last on opposite sides of the door, she had thought they had made up. She even passed along her lucky charm.

So, was all of that... just a lie?

She reached the top of the stairs, but surprisingly Riku was nowhere to be seen. Kairi sighed, leaning over to catch her breath. “What-- What was that about?”

“That was Riku, right?” Goofy asked, coming up beside her.

“Yeah,” Kairi huffed, leaning one hand against the wall. “But I don’t understand. I thought he had changed. Back at the door.”

“I guess not all that much,” Donald grumbled, crossing his arms.

Kairi frowned, more confused than ever. If Riku hadn’t changed at all or had returned to using the darkness...

Was Sora in danger? And Namine and Roxas?

Were they all in danger?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hey, Kairi got one of her friends back! He's just a little... angry.... I'm sure it's perfectly normal... 
> 
> Just a quick update for today, but in better news, I think I managed to close up that plot hole, and now it's full steam ahead for me to the end. Which is good, cause one the first and favorite parts I wrote for this fic is close to the end. :D


	17. Riku: keyblades and mirrors

“Riku?”

“Huh?” Riku lucked up from where he was resting against one of the glowing rocks. He was missing Sora’s optimism already. He glanced over to where Aqua was leaning against another rock. “Yeah?”

“I’ve been wanting to ask. About that blade you use.”

Riku sighed and summoned Soul Eater, “Yeah.”

“It’s a--”

“Blade from here. The dark realm.” Riku willed the blade away. “At least, I’m pretty sure it is. It was a gift of sorts.” At least, that was how Maleficent presented it. But now Riku was pretty sure she had gotten it from Ansem. A way for Riku to connect more with the darkness than with the light of what was _supposed_ to be his keyblade. The one that she had said Kairi had stolen, but that didn’t make much sense. At least, he hoped that Kairi’s keyblade wasn’t the one meant for him. He didn’t think he could pull off flowers...

“A gift?” Aqua said, interrupting his thoughts, “But if it’s a Keyblade...” She trailed off, pressing her finger to her chin in thought. 

Riku blinked, “But it’s not a Keyblade.” He summoned it again as if she hadn’t seen it clearly. “It doesn’t have a keychain or anything. Not like Kairi’s and Sora’s.”

“I’ve read about such blades,” Mickey said, walking closer to study Soul Eater. “And you’re half right. It’s not a keyblade... and it is.”

That... really didn’t clear anything up.

“It’s like a sort of developing form?” Aqua turned to Mickey for confirmation. The King thought about it for a moment before nodding. “It’s like a, um--er...A baby keyblade.” She grinned at her own analogy, then continued. “Most keyblades are passed down from Master to student. But occasionally, a student will come along who won’t quite fit the keyblade their Master passed on.” She glanced back at Soul Eater, “So, a new blade is forged. One that is given time to meld better with its wielder.”

“One day,” Mickey began, “That blade will start to shift and change. Become a proper keyblade.”

Riku held Soul Eater up. “It will?” He wasn’t sure how he felt about that, “But it’s still from this realm. I thought keyblades were a weapon of light?”

Mickey giggled, and even Aqua let out a small huff of laughter.

“I used to think so too. But Mickey proved otherwise.” The blue haired woman let out a grin.

Mickey summoned his own blade, a mirror image of Sora’s basic Keyblade, with a gold blade instead of Sora's silver. “This is a blade from the dark realm. The blade’s origins don’t necessarily matter. Just how you use it, right?”

Aqua nodded, and after a moment, Riku did as well.

“Right.” Riku looked back at Soul Eater. “How I use it... Then from now on, I’m going to use it to protect the things that matter.”

Mickey let out that small laugh that indicated he approved, while Aqua grinned as well.

“Terra would have been proud.”

“Huh?” Riku tilted his head, finally willing Soul Eater away. “What do you mean?”

Her grin faded a bit. “When you were younger, I had felt that someone had passed along the power to wield a keyblade to you. Traditionally, it’s done through a sort of ceremony.” She seemed to lose herself in thought for a second before returning his confused gaze. “Before I visited the island, did a young man visit as well?”

“Uh,” Riku frowned, crossing his arms in thought. “Well, yeah. I was pretty young but he was tall I guess? But _everyone_ was tall when I was younger. He had brown hair though, and blue eyes. And the weirdest pants--”

To his surprise, Aqua let out a loud laugh. It was a nice sound and reminded him a little of Kairi.

“So it _was_ Terra! H-He--” Aqua tried to contain her chuckles, “He started wear-wearing those because our M-Master did.” She let out another round of giggles. “He kept tripping over them while training but refused to give them up.”

Riku let out a couple of chuckles as well, finding Aqua’s laugh infectious. “He sounds like a good friend.”

“He’s my best friend,” Aqua smiled softly, “We grew up together. Then Ven came, and everything was great...”

“What happened?” Riku asked, sensing it must have been terrible. After all, Aqua was here now, in the realm of Darkness.

“It’s a long story. But Terra was the one who passed the power of the keyblade to you. But then, he was taken by the darkness. We both fell into this realm, and to save him, I had to stay.” Aqua looked back towards the road ahead, where Mickey was scouting. “I’m sorry again, for yelling at you for doing something that I did myself.”

“It’s alright,” Riku reassured her, though half his mind was worried. If the person who was effectively his predecessor was overtaken by darkness... was it just destiny that he should have to fight it as well? Something in his heart twinged at the thought and he flinched, waving off Aqua when she reached out in concern. “I’m fine.”

“Aqua! Riku!”

They both turned towards Mickey, who had his keyblade out and ready for battle. Quickly, they both summoned their blades and ran towards their friend.

He was staring at a mirror?

“That’s not supposed to be here,” Aqua said, confused.

“What do you mean?” Riku asked, looking at the mirror. There was... something wrong with it. It reflected all three of them but...

Riku shook his head, trying to get a closer look. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but something about the reflection unnerved him.

“It’s from the area of Dwarf Woodlands that landed in the realm of darkness.” Aqua held her keyblade out at the ready. “Careful, there’s something in that mirror, it just twists everything you’re thinking.”

“But it’s just a reflection,” Riku murmured, reaching out, trying to discover what was wrong with it.

“Gosh. I wonder though. If the world it came from was restored, why is it still here?” Mickey wondered.

“I think it belonged to an evil queen,” Aqua explained. “I suppose the real question is, where did she get it from?”

“Well,” Riku huffed, trying to shake off the feeling. “It _is_ just a mirror. We can go around it, right?” He walked close enough to glanced around to the other side, only finding the back of the mirror.

“Riku! Look out!” Aqua shouted.

With a start, Riku looked back, “Huh? What--” a hand wrapped around his mouth effectively cutting himself off. He grabbed the hand, pulling it away enough that he could turn around.

He found himself holding the hand of his reflection.

“Don’t let it pull you in!” Aqua shouted again.

With a start, Riku suddenly realized what was wrong with the mirror. While he could hear Aqua’s shout, the mouth of her reflection in the mirror didn’t move. The expression was different too, more glaring and menacing than what he had known the real person to be like. Mickey’s reflection was angrier too.

A tug on his wrist startled him out of those thoughts and he focused his own reflection, a little nervous about what he’d see.

His reflection was smirking, but he also looked almost bored as he tried to drag Riku into the mirror. Riku reared back, trying to pull his wrist out of the tight grip of his reflection.

His reflection’s smirk widened and Riku realized it was because he was inadvertently pulling the reflection out of the mirror. He cried out in shock and tried to pull harder.

The reflection got one foot out of the mirror, then another.

“Riku!”

“Riku!”

Twin shouts distracted Riku from his plight and he turned around, finding Mickey and Aqua banging on some kind of barrier. He could hear them fine, but they couldn’t reach him.

_“Riku, Riku...”_

Teal eyes widened as he recognized his own voice mocking the others. He turned back, his reflection summoning a keyblade identical to his own.

“They’re so worried. But you and I both know they shouldn’t worry about someone like you.”

“Shut up!” Riku summoned his own blade.

The reflection attacked first, and Riku had to quickly block, putting his other hand on the blade to throw his opponent off. Teal eyes widened when a dark projectile raced towards him and he barely deflected in time. Luckily, the dark ball left his twin wide open and Riku went in for a few strikes.

He flinched when he realized that he could almost feel the pain himself. Half his mind flashed back to a time when the 'stop hitting yourself' line became a favorite among the Destiny Island bullies. Would every strike against this mirror image mean he would inadvertently hurt himself?

“Psh. Like that would be anything new to you," his reflection mocked, possibly reading his thoughts. “You’ve become so good at punishing yourself. Pushing your only friend into the unknown so you could suffer more.”

“I said shut up!” Riku shouted again, “It was for his own good!”

“Please. How do you know you didn’t just push him further into danger?” The reflection attacked again, though this time his whole body shifted, his clothes morphing into the outfit Riku vaguely realize he had been wearing when he fought Kairi.

No... that wasn’t him, exactly, but...

“Face it,” his reflection continued, “You pushed Sora out because you were too close to the darkness, and his light just cast further shadows on you.”

“You’re wrong!” Riku huffed, blocking another attack.

Was his reflection getting stronger?

Soon, his mirror image shifted again. Now his opponent was a man he had never seen in person exactly, but one that he knew.

“Ansem!” He wasn’t sure how he knew the name, but it felt right when he shouted it. 

The man smirked, then launched another dark fireball at Riku. He didn’t manage to dodge it this time, and it singed his leg. Letting out an injured cry, Riku fell to his knees in pain. When he looked back Ansem was attacking again, still using the mirror image of Soul Eater. Riku raised his own blade to block, but the blow still knocked him straight into the barrier.

“Riku! Hold on!”

Riku rubbed his head, a little dazed but he managed a nod at Aqua who had shouted and tried to block again.

“You were so good at using the darkness before when you were trying to save your friend. But you won’t use it now to save yourself?” Ansem drawled, swinging his blade with wild force. “How pathetic.”

“I’m not gonna use it,” Riku muttered, mostly to himself. He couldn’t use it. That power was what got him here in the first place: lost and now without either of his best friends at his side. Ansem was right, he had been too close to it. Maybe it was better if he never got back to the realm of light.

“Heal!”

Riku gasped as his wounds closed and stopped aching, and he felt some of his strength return. He managed to get to his feet and push Ansem back towards the mirror.

Mickey ran up next to him, managing to strike a few blows that pushed Ansem back a little further. Riku struck the finishing blow that knocked the man back into the mirror where it looked he was getting sucked back in.

Despite the situation he was in, the man smirked. “You may have defeated the reflection, but don’t think I’m gone for good. I’m just a reflection of the darkness in your heart. So what does that say about you?”

Riku flinched at the words, feeling the truth in them. He may have his heart and body back, but Ansem still had a hold on both, due to the darkness in his heart.

“Enough!” Aqua called out.

Out of the corner of his eye, Riku saw her keyblade fly towards Ansem, smacking him back into the mirror, then continuing to smash the mirror completely.

Riku covered his eyes to prevent the glass from flying into them, then watched as the remnants were covered in black smoke, then vaporized.

“Isn’t that like... seven years of bad luck?” Riku questioned, for a lack of anything else to say.

Aqua huffed as she retrieved her keyblade. “I’ve been here for ten years, I think we’re even.” She leaned against a nearby rock pillar. “Who was that man you were fighting?”

“That was... Ansem,” Riku admitted. “He was the one who Kairi fought. The one who was trying to open Kingdom Hearts.”

“Huh.” Aqua put one hand on her hip, clearly deep in thought.

“Wait, Riku!” Mickey interrupted, “Did you say his name was Ansem?”

“Yeah?”

“Hmm.” Mickey also looked deep in thought. “The only Ansem I know is Ansem the Wise. And that definitely wasn’t him.”

Riku was about to bring up the fact that there could be more than one Ansem in the worlds, but was interrupted when Aqua spoke up.

“Riku, what did he mean about you using the darkness?” Her gaze bore into him.

He looked away, ashamed of what he was about to reveal. “Aqua, how do you think I got here?” He held up his blade again. _It_ came from the dark realm, what did she think he had been using?

“Huh?” Aqua tilted her head, “I assumed the same way I did or Mickey did. You were drawn through and then trapped, right?”

Riku shook his head, drawing one leg up to his chest. “I’m trapped here, yeah, same as you. But, my heart got here first. My body was taken over by that guy. By Ansem. He-- no-- _I_ turned to the darkness. I thought it would let me leave the islands. And it _did,_ but...” He shook his head. “That same darkness nearly swallowed Sora, causing his heart to fall asleep. And when I couldn’t wake him, I turned further into the darkness, hoping that it held the answers to saving him. I was reckless. Ansem saw an opportunity, and he took it.”

“Aww. Riku...” Mickey walked over and laid a hand on his shoulder. “That guy manipulated you. Surely you must see that now.”

“It was still my choice,” Riku sighed.

There was another gentle hand on his shoulder. In shock, he looked up at Aqua who took a seat next to him.

“When Terra told me what happened... when he said that he had been overtaken by darkness in order save Ven, well, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed. It had been easy for me to turn away darkness, I thought it should have been easy for him as well.” She let out a sigh. “I didn’t get it till I spent years down here. Walking around the darkness, having no one else I could talk to I realized how easily darkness could sneak into the stress fractures of a broken heart. I’ve been lost in memories, fighting off heartless left and right and it surprises me how often my temper flares up now.” She let out a little self-deprecating smile, “Terra had said that he had learned his lesson, but I didn’t believe in him. I wish I could tell him I understand now.” She let out another sigh. “I almost had a chance. Our hearts connected for only a few minutes but someone interrupted that connection.”

She then turned back to Mickey, “What happened to Xehanort after the battle?”

The mouse king frowned, “We don’t know. He disappeared.”

“Did he now,” Aqua let out a small groan. “Mickey, I didn’t want to say anything before because I half thought I had dreamt it. But now... That guy from the mirror. He reminded me of someone, but it wasn’t until Riku said he had been possessed that it hit me. The person who interrupted the connection between me and Terra-- that was Xehanort. In a way.” She shook her head in confusion. “Terra said that Xehanort was a part of him.”

“He overshadowed Terra’s heart,” Riku said in realization. “Like what Ansem did to me.”

“Right,” Aqua nodded. “That guy-- he reminded me of what Terra looked like when Xehanort took over. With the white hair and golden eyes. Except this guy’s hair was longer.”

“He was technically a heartless,” Riku guessed, “They don’t-- well, they _never_ look like what they came from.”

Aqua hummed in acknowledgment, her brow furrowed in thought. 

Riku felt a little lost, observing as Mickey also seemed to be deep in thought. He couldn’t figure out this Xehanort person, only that he must have been the person who might have manipulated Terra to the darkness. Much like how Ansem did with--

_Now Riku. You and I both know manipulation is too strong a word. You willingly did anything I asked of you to become stronger..._

Rku flinched at the voice, then glanced back at Mickey and Aqua, but both were deep in conversation, and evidently didn’t hear it.

_How can they hear a voice in your heart, Riku?_

“Shut up,” Riku muttered. “You’re not real.”

_I’m just as real as that reflection you fought. I’m just on another side of your heart, waiting..._

“Well then, you can keep waiting, cause I’m not going to use the darkness again.”

_Oh really?_

“Yeah. So you can just go crawl into a hole and--”

_No need to speak so harshly. I am your only hope of salvation now. Or do you plan to wander the darkness forever like her?_

Riku glanced over at Aqua, then shook his head. “I don’t need any help from you. We’re doing just fine--”

_If you say so, but I’m getting tired of waiting..._

Riku gasped as something in his heart lurched and began to pull. He collapsed to his knees. “What did you do?!”

The voice stayed silent.

He heaved in gasps of air, pulling at his shirt as if that could alleviate the pull. 

“Riku!” Mickey raced to his side. “What’s wrong?”

“Ansem-- he’s still in my heart," Riku choked out, trying to at least crawl back to his feet, but only managing to get onto his hands and knees. “He did something... to it. My heart-- it’s like it’s being ripped from my chest.”

“Where?” Gentle hands hauled him to his feet, and a slender but sturdy arm wrapped around his waist, pulling his own arm around strong shoulders. “Where is it pulling you?”

Riku glanced over at Aqua for a moment, then pointed to the right. “Down there, I think.”

“Okay.” Aqua helped him move, his feet staggering along. On his other side, Riku looked up in worry.

Riku thought about Aqua’s strength and courage. And what she had said about the darkness. In many ways, her kindness and resolve reminded him of a lot of Kairi. He wondered. “Did you ever go to Hollow Bastion when you were in the realm of light?”

“Huh?” Aqua blinked, pausing for a moment. “Hollow Bastion?”

“That’s what they renamed Radiant Garden after it fell,” Mickey explained.

“It fell too?” Aqua sounded shocked, “Oh... yes, I was there.”

“You meet a girl there? Would have been about four or five, I guess.”

“Er--yes.” Aqua nodded, “I--I feel bad, but I can’t quite remember her name. Mickey and I saved her from some unversed, and then she gave me some flowers in thanks.”

Riku let out a small smile. That sounded exactly like something Kairi would do. “Thought so. If the keyblade is supposed to be passed on, I think you’re the reason Kairi can wield a keyblade.” It didn't explain Sora though. Maybe another keyblade wielder visited the islands at some point... 

“Huh?” Aqua frowned, “But I didn’t--” She cut herself off. “Unless...”

“I don’t think it matters,” Riku muttered, “But thanks. There’s no one better you could have passed it down to.”

Aqua shared a grin with him and nodded.

Together, the three of them continued down the path.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mickey and Aqua are _this_ close to figuring the Terra/Ansem/Xehanort thing out. _So close!!_
> 
> Though... in ReCoded, it's implied that Mickey knew that Xehanort was supposed to be an old guy. Then when he met the apprentice and remembered who the apprentice was in Kingdom Hearts II... shouldn't have asked more questions. like "oh gosh, did he drink from the same fountain of youth I did? How else would I look so good at 90?" 
> 
> Developing form keyblades totally equal baby keyblades right? keyblades in training? training wheel keyblades? Was the wooden keyblade that Ventus used a developing form of wayward wind? Cause if not then... where did he put it when he was traveling? Did it shrink?! Besides, wasn't that Terra's training keyblade anyway?
> 
> .... I think I just caused myself to ask more questions than I actually tried to answer.... oops. I should have remembered that Kingdom Hearts is less headachy if I just stop asking questions. 
> 
> I really loved the idea of phantom mirror Aqua. (Her secret boss form not so much). So of course I had to bring it back for a little bit. :D


	18. Kairi: frustration

Kairi opened the door, ready to shield her eyes against the bright light. Letting Donald and Goofy walk ahead of her, she let out a deep sigh, then closed the door quietly. Another world traversed, one that was both new and very familiar. She only one card left, which was a world she didn’t recognize at all even as her heart ached with the familiarity of it. A broken castle with smoke rising from the fallen towers. They said that the cards had come from her memories, but she just couldn’t remember _this_.

She was reminded of what Riku had said earlier. About Sora. Namine, and Roxas not wanting to see her. Maybe... maybe they _were_ upset that she had forgotten about them. Or at least, forgotten Namine and Roxas. She still wasn’t sure why Sora didn’t want to see her.

But she vowed to change that. She would rescue all of them and then she’d have time to talk with Sora. To tell him everything. Maybe she should tell him how she felt. Maybe Sora thought she didn’t care. Her kiss hadn’t worked at the moment, but perhaps it had just taken time?

No. That wasn’t right. It was an act of true love that had caused Sora to awaken but what was it? Something to do with Riku?

_That_ felt right. And when she thought about that feeling, she realized that it was both happy and sad. As if a joyous realization had come at a price.

Axel had said that the memories that were truly important to her would come back. But, if she couldn’t remember this moment, was it 'truly important?'

“What’s wrong Kairi?”

Kairi glanced over at Jiminy who was resting on her shoulder. “I don’t know exactly but my heart is sad.”

“Sad?” Donald quacked behind while Goofy closed the door to the world created by the cards.

“Yeah,” Kairi sighed. “I just keep thinking about my friends. I feel awful that I had forgotten Namine and Roxas for so long. And I hope that when I meet them again, they’ll forgive me. But, I’m also thinking about Sora... and especially Riku.” She clutched a hand over heart, feeling it ache. “I thought that Riku had changed. Because he helped us close the door. But now... he’s acting just like he used to when we were growing up.” She sat down next to an urn Was it Riku’s sudden step backward that was making her upset? She logically supposed a complete change of heart might have been too much to ask for.

“Well gosh, what was Riku like when you were little?” Goofy wondered, taking a seat next to her. Donald rested as well.

Riku thought back, “Well, he was always kind of bossy, never liked playing with the others.” She huffed. “I think he liked playing with Sora a bit, though... one time Sora wanted to pick flowers with me and Namine, and he threw a huge fit. It made Sora cry and I think Roxas nearly punched Riku over it.”

She drew her knees to her chest, replaying the memory over in her head. It was so clear, easier to reminisce about than even the people she had met in the world they had just been in. She, Sora, Roxas, and Namine all went to play, having a blast chasing each other through the gardens and picking flowers for bouquets and flower crowns. They even managed to feed the fish in the pond, the ones Sora had named. They eventually caught up with Riku, hours later, finding him sitting on a bench overlooking the ocean.

Kairi frowned. Ocean? That-- She shook her head. That wasn’t right. It was Lilo’s world that had an ocean. Radiant Garden wasn’t anywhere _near_ an ocean. Just the fountain courts. That must have been what she was thinking of. The fountains had shallow pools for the kids to play in. She just... forgot about that.

Right?

Something felt wrong about these memories. Like she was missing something that was just out of reach.

“He... He always complained at story time.” Kairi said instead, finding that narrowing in on any one memory for too long caused them to lose focus and it gave her headaches. “Hated fairy tales.”

“... _Fairy Tales are stupid...”_

_“No, they’re not! They teach us good values!”_

_“Like what? Curiosity can hurt other people?”_

Kairi frowned at the memory. Riku teased her for liking that story, ever since she and Namine found it and made Grandma read it for storytime whenever they got sick. It seemed like it was one of the few where the girl saved the prince, and Riku would roll his eyes with a smirk and mutter “ridiculous.”

A smirk or... Kairi’s head told her that Riku was smirking in derision, but that thought conflicted with her heart, which said he had been teasing when he said that.

Which did Kairi trust: her head or her heart?

“Kairi?”

Kairi jumped out of her thoughts, looking at Donald who was pointing ahead. “Oh... ready to move on?”

“Gosh, you’re the one who keeps saying to move forward!” Goofy clapped her shoulder.

She grinned though she knew it didn’t quite reach her eyes, “Right. Keep moving.” She knew she used to say that a lot to someone. But who? Sora? Roxas? Namine? Riku?

“Something is still bothering you.” Donald tapped his foot. “You might be smiling, but your eyes are sad.”

“I--” Kairi sighed, letting go of the grin, not feeling up to faking it. “I-- I’m just... sad. What if what Riku said was true, and they don’t want to see me?”

“Well.” Jiminy hopped up to her shoulder. “I think that’s something they can say for themselves. But I do think you should at least have the chance to apologize.”

“But what would I be apologizing for?” Kairi rubbed under her eyes, catching a few stray droplets. “I can’t even remember what I did wrong! I’m sorry I forgot about them, but I remember now. And Sora and Riku. I just-- Did I do something?”

“We’ll have to find them and ask them. And then, once you find out, you figure out how to best make it up to them.” Jiminy was always the voice of reason, and Kairi found herself nodding along with the advice.

“Right!” Goofy said, “And we’ll be right there with ya. We like ya, and we’ll always be your friends.”

“That’s right,” Donald held his wing out, “We should make a promise. Even if we forget about each other, we’ll always be friends in our hearts.”

Goofy covered Donald’s hand with his own, then they both looked at Kairi.

Kairi didn’t even hesitate. She offered a grin and laid her own hand on theirs. “Right. It’s a promise.”

At least, with her friends around, the contradictions between her head and her heart didn’t seem as scary.

“All for one,” Donald began.

“And one for all,” Goofy and Kairi finished. 

“How fascinating...”

Kairi gasped, summoning her keyblade, quickly turning to the figure that had appeared from a dark portal.

It was a tall blonde with acid green eyes that unnerved her. As he approached, she had to force herself to refrain taking several steps back. Not even the hooded figure from the first floor nor Larxene had disturbed her this much. She had never felt more like a pinned butterfly, under glass for examination.

“Who are you?” Kairi asked instead, gripping her keyblade in comfort. “What do you want?”

“Is that any way to talk to someone who has done you a great favor?”

Kairi blinked, confused. “What favor?”

“Why, reuniting you with one of your dear friends of course!”

“Huh?” Dear friend? Did he mean Namine and Roxas? But she hadn’t reunited with them yet. Or did he mean... “Riku? You mean Riku?!”

“Of course,” The man drawled, waving a hand. “I thought you’d be grateful.”

A thought ran through Kairi’s head, shocking her a bit with how right it seemed. “So, are you the reason why Riku’s been acting so mean?” She frowned even as she said it. Hadn’t Riku always been mean?

The man laughed uproariously, reminding Kairi more than a little of the mad scientist from Halloweentown. “Oh, I’m rather surprised. She said you were incorruptible, but it seems like you can be manipulated more than she thinks.” He summoned a giant shield.

“Huh?” Kairi frowned, “Who said--”

“That’s enough with the questions,” he cut her off, pulling his shield in front of him. “My name is Vexen, Number Four in this castle. If you want answers, you’ll have to go through me.”

Kairi glanced around, suddenly realizing that he had drawn her into an arena, like the one that appeared when she had fought Axel and Larxene. Goofy and Donald were again gone. She wished that she wasn’t so used to this by now.

She felt a sudden blast of cold near her back and she turned, quickly dodging a giant icicle before it skewered her. She batted away the next blast of ice, trying to think. Ice... Ice and a shield.

Inwardly, Kairi smirked. She had just filled her deck with fire magic cards. And Donald just taught her a new spell to surround herself in pillars of fire.

Mr. Ice Magic Man was _SO_ gonna regret aggravating her.

Once she had her strategy in mind, the fight seemed to fly by. The only hiccup came when a summoned Donald used blizzaga on the man-- _which actually healed him, gosh darn it Donald!--_ but when she whipped out her new ability, Vexen was toast. Nearly literally.

Unfortunately, as he was knocked back from the arena, and the field disappeared, Kairi found that the man was laughing.

“Oh, what wonderful data!” Vexen called out, still giggling, even as he had to use the shield to support himself. “That should patch up the other one...”

“What?” Other one? Other _what?!_ “What are you talking about?!”

Vexen continued to laugh, “I wonder if you will ever meet... That would be such a fascinating experiment...”

Kairi, growled in response, surprising herself, and ran towards the man, but he disappeared before she could reach him and she yelled in frustration, taking a swing at one of the nearby urns. She had to just hit something!

“Kairi!”

“Kairi, stop!”

She huffed and whacked the urn again. It wasn’t fair. At every turn she felt like she was being pushed and dragged and manipulated along. She didn’t want to keep doing this! To keep fighting these people only to feel as if there was yet another layer of something that she didn’t understand! And she had to reach the end! She had to save them! Namine, Roxas, Sora, and even Riku if it was possible. She had to save them and these stupid annoying---people! In their cloaks and with their words and it. Just. Wasn’t. Fair!

“Kairi!” A voice in her ear shouted although the source of the voice was so small it felt more like a loud whisper. “Kairi, that’s enough. You’re going to hurt yourself.”

“I-- I just--!” Unwillingly, she felt tears come to her eyes, and she furiously rubbed them away, turning to look at Jiminy on her shoulder. “I--”

“We understand Kairi.” She felt Goofy place a hand on her shoulder. “We know you’re frustrated in this castle.”

“We could still turn back.” Donald pointed down the hall.

Kairi huffed gripping her keyblade tightly. They could go back. Regroup, maybe come back with reinforcements. Who knew how many more floors there were? How many more layers?

How many floors had they done already?

“No...” Kairi sighed, shaking her head. “No... We should go on. We have to find our friends. All for one, right?”

“And one for all!” Donald and Goofy agreed.

Turning towards the door, she grabbed the last world card and held it up.

As the door glowed and began to open, she also felt her resolve harden on one thing: She was going to _finish_ this, no matter who or what was in her way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does Kairi seem like the kind of person who'd swear? Like, I didn't realize that I needed to ask this question until I kept catching myself writing swears when Kairi was frustrated. I don't think she would unless she was super, super, super upset. 
> 
> I'm hoping I'll be able to update on Sunday, but I'm also going on a mini vacation, so at the very latest it'll be Monday.


	19. Riku: separation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's totally still Monday night somewhere in the world...right?

Riku grunted again as his heart tugged at him, and with great reluctance, he pointed in the direction it pulled till Aqua and Mickey both turned, assisting him towards it. He had tried going away from the pull, but the pain was so excruciating it had brought him to his knees, trying to gasp for breath. Aqua had to pull him in the right direction, staying by his side till it got easier to breathe.

“I still don’t think this is a good idea,” Riku gasped out. “If this is the way Ansem-- er-- Xehanort’s heartless wants us to go.”

“I know,” Aqua admitted, her arm around his back to support him, “But you start dying every time we try. So we really don’t have a choice.”

“You guys have a choice,” Riku muttered but regretted his words when he saw their faces.

“Gosh, Riku, you know we wouldn’t abandon you.” Mickey let out a sigh, his eyes sad.

“Besides, I don’t think I could look Sora in the eye and tell him we left his bestest friend in the realm of darkness by himself,” Aqua stated, evidently trying to get Riku to smile.

Riku tried, remembering Sora’s relentless insistence that he stay with the group. He supposed Sora would be pretty upset if he gave up now. “Fine... Hopefully, that guy was right about knowing a way out.”

“No one knew the darkness like Xehanort,” Aqua murmured, her face taking on a hard edge.

Riku nodded, then pointed ahead of them again, “I think we’re getting closer. The pull’s becoming more of a general ache now, so maybe we’re in the vicinity of wherever he wanted us to go.”

“Let’s hope,” Mickey said, “It’s easy to get into the realm of darkness when a world is falling, the walls between are so thin. But with the worlds restored, I’m not sure how someone would get in or out now."

“Xehanort must be leading us to a weak spot,” Aqua suggested, helping Riku along. “Perhaps a world that’s closer to the darkness?”

“Or maybe a spot in the dark realm that closer to the light.” Riku tried for an optimistic point of view, though he was pretty sure he could hear Xehanort’s heartless laughing at him.

They walked for what felt like miles before Riku frowned, tapping Aqua’s shoulder so she let him stand up on his own a bit.

“Do you hear that?” Riku asked.

The corners of Aqua’s mouth dipped downwards and she tilted her head, “Hear what?”

Riku put his hand against a rock pillar for support as he stepped closer, closing his eyes and breathing as shallowly as possible in order to hear better.

“I think I hear it!” Mickey exclaimed, his large ears excellent for picking up the distant sound.

At first, Riku almost mistook it for his own heartbeat, but with Mickey’s statement, he knew for sure.

“It’s the sound of waves hitting the shore.” Riku hobbled closer. If he could hear waves, was he almost home?

He managed to walk a few feet on his own, crossing over a rocky ledge. He could almost feel the ocean breeze, though it felt wrong somehow.

He fell over the next sand dune, then sighed deeply at the sight

It was an ocean alright. But it wasn’t home.

“Oh...” Aqua’s voice was soft beside him.

Ahead of them stretched a large body of water, dark as night and waves gently coming and soaking the black sand of the shoreline. Riku let a sigh escape and closed his eyes again. “It still sounds like home.” He felt his heart ache, for a totally different reason.

He would give anything to turn back time and go back with his friends.

“What’s that?”

Riku opened his eyes and glanced over to Mickey who was staring at something farther down the beach.

Aqua looked as well. “It’s a portal.”

Riku tried to look closer, then flinched back. He was well too familiar with that. “It’s a dark portal. It’s what I used to move faster when I was using the darkness.” He didn’t want to go anywhere near it.

The darkness in his heart had other plans.

The pull became harsher, tighter as if he was an errant dog that had wandered too far from his master. He struggled to disobey, digging his feet into the sand. But the pull was too strong and became too painful to ignore. Aqua and Mickey walked with him, supporting him though he noticed that they, too, were apprehensive about using the portal.

Suddenly, when they were about halfway to the portal, Riku saw yellow eyes out of the corner of his vision. Soul Eater flashed into his hand with barely a thought and he turned, dissipating the shadow that tried to sneak up on them.

Aqua turned as well, summoning her own keyblade and smacking another far away.

The yellow eyes multiplied and started to converge. Almost like they were creating a larger being.

Aqua and Mickey both let out noises of frustration. “They’re trying to form a wave again.” Aqua huffed, throwing her keyblade hard enough to knock five heartless back. “Riku! You gotta go!”

“What?” Riku shouted, whacking another few heartless away from him. “No way! I can’t just--” He broke off he felt something hard hit his back, throwing him a few feet towards the portal. He grunted in pain struggling to his feet, swinging blindly with his keyblade, but then his heart twinged in pain and Soul Eater fell to the ground.

“You’ll have to.”

He glanced up, startled to find Aqua right beside him, lifting him to his feet.

“But--” He tried to protest, but was cut off with a firm shove into the portal.

Riku gasped, then tried to turn around. The portal was already closing up around him and he held his hand out, trying to get Aqua to come with him.

Aqua just smiled sadly, looking back to where Mickey was still fighting off the shadow wave alone, “You’ll find a way to get us out. I know you will.” She knocked another heartless back, “If you see Terra or Ven, tell them I’ll be back soon.”

“Aqua! Mickey!” Riku shouted, struggling against the darkness of the portal. But it was like trying to struggle against gravity. Soon it overtook him and the portal closed.

Riku tried struggling for a moment more before his strength left him, and he fell unconscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .... I swear it's all gonna be okay. Mostly.


	20. Kairi: rashomon effect

“Well, that was...” Kairi frowned, not sure how to explain it.

Her heart said the world was Radiant Garden, but her head remembered otherwise. Radiant Garden was full of fountains, and flowers, and light. That had just been dreary and broken.

What had happened to her home?

“It felt kinda familiar. Right?” Donald asked.

“Yeah,” Goofy agreed. “And Maleficent was kind of scary.”

“Right,” Kairi sighed, “But... Beast and Belle.” Kairi could feel it in her heart. She had met both of them before. And she was sure that she and Belle shared some sort of connection.

But she couldn’t remember what that connection was.

“Well,” She held out her hands, “I’m out of cards. So, do we need a moment to regroup? I’m sure we’ll be meeting someone soon.”

When both Donald and Goofy shook their heads, she turned towards the staircase. Only to find a figure already descending it.

“Riku!” Kairi called out, running towards him, though a little more cautious than she had been initially.

“I told you to go home,” Riku stated, leveling a glare at her.

“Not happening!” Kairi stood her ground. “You can tell me to shove off all you like, but I’m not going. Not till I see them.”

“I told you they don’t--”

“I’d like to hear it from them myself.” Kairi summoned her keyblade. She took a deep breath, trying one more time, “C’mon Riku. I know you don’t believe me right now, but we are friends. Please don’t make me have to knock some sense into you.”

Riku scoffed, summoning his own blade, “I’d like to see you try!”

The same arena as when she had fought Axel appeared around them, immediately cutting off Donald and Goofy.

It seemed Riku had a good grasp of the odd card system as well.

Not as good as her though. She batted away several of his combos, then created a strike raid sleight, easily knocking her keyblade into him, which stunned him just long enough to get in a few good hits. He growled in annoyance, blocking her next hit and shooting a ball of dark fire at her. She gritted her teeth against the instinctual shriek that usually came to her throat in the face of fire, and instead tried to deflect it with a quick blizzara.

It didn’t quite work as she had intended. Instead of the steam she had hoped for, the two spells canceled each other out and fizzled into nothing. She couldn’t spend too much time thinking about it. Spotting a Goofy card ahead, dodged another attack and managed to land next to it. She summoned her friend quickly and while he spun around, distracting Riku more than seriously injuring him, Kairi put together another sleight, one she had thought about, and then created on her own, inspired by a dim almost dream-like memory...

Once Goofy vanished, she played her combo, a blizzard, aero, and a high-level keyblade card. She felt the magic swirl around her, letting her easily spin across the floor, avoiding Riku’s attacks. As the magic built, she spun faster. Then released it all at once, straight at Riku’s unprotected back.

He was knocked down and the arena began to fade. Goofy and Donald immediately rushed to her side and she held her keyblade aloft.

“Did I get through to you yet?” She was breathing heavily, that last trick nearly draining her. She knew that she’d have to take an ether soon or something before she collapsed.

Thankfully, Riku seemed to be worn out as well. “Don’t mock me.”

“I’m not...” Kairi huffed, then lowered her blade. “Riku, seriously, we’re on the same side. We all just want to go home.” She tried to take a step towards him, but he stepped back, so she stopped. Instead, she reached into her pocket, drawing out the picture she had discovered earlier. “See? I still have the picture. I can make it up to them, and to you too if I have to. I don’t want to fight anymore. Not like when we were young and played in the castle.”

“What are you talking about?!” Riku snapped, glaring at the offered picture. “What the heck is that?”

Kairi flinched, pulling the picture back. “It’s us, and Grandma. In the library of the castle, rememb--”

“I don’t know where the heck you got that idea, princess, but there was never a castle!” Riku reached into his own pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper of his own. Another picture. He held it up and she cautiously stepped close enough to see.

It was similar enough at first glance to cause confusion. The same five kids in front of the same kindly old woman. But... the background was different. Instead of the shelves of the library, it was a beachfront, the blue of the sea nearly melding in with the blue of the sky.

“Your memory is an absolute shipwreck if you think we grew up in a castle...” Riku huffed, rolling his eyes. “There aren’t any castles on the island unless they’re made out of sand.”

“What? Island?” Kairi frowned looking closer at her picture. The memory of the castle stuck, chasing her friends down stairs and winding passageways, hanging out in the library till Grandmother called them over for snacks.

There’s no way she could have mistaken that for a _beach._ But... Riku seemed pretty adamant as well.

“Riku.” She tried again, remember how her head and heart kept conflicting on the memories. “Something’s wrong. We need to--”

“I don’t need to do anything except get rid of you.” His face was twisted up in something that she barely recognized as her friend. “You were never supposed to be in the picture!” He panted, evidently still recovering from their fight. “I just... need a bit more power.” He let out a faint groan as he stood, then turned and ran.

 _He’s going to wear himself out!_ Kairi tried to chase after him, but the energy she had expended earlier finally caught up and she collapsed to the ground.

“Kairi!”

She felt the instant relief and warmth of a cure spell, and then smelled the mintiness of an ether as Goofy offered it. “Thanks...” She huffed out.

“You shouldn’t try such high-level magic without a bit of training...” Donald scolded. “You could cause permanent damage if you go too advanced too quickly.”

“Yeah...” Kairi tried to grin, “Sorry... I just... wanted to beat him quickly. So we could talk...” Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a piece of paper. Frowning, she picked it up, finding that it was the picture Riku had been holding onto. She compared it to the picture she still held in her hand.

Visually, they were so similar. Kairi saw her own bright, childish grin beaming up at her from both pictures, Namine’s shy smile mirrored as well as Roxas’s bright grin. Sora’s smile blinded them all. But... as Kairi looked closer she saw one other difference besides the backgrounds. Whereas in her picture, Riku looked sullen and bored, in the other, Riku’s whole demeanor was different. Though his arms were still crossed, they weren’t as defensive. He didn’t smile as wide as Sora or Roxas, nor was he shy like Namine... but his smile was sincere and his eyes were softer.

The image made her heart ache. This was _her_ Riku, her _friend_.

Then why was it that her picture... match up better with the images in her head? With a Riku who was sullen and mean and a bully, rather than the kind, sincere, stubborn kid in the other picture?

It didn’t--

She didn’t get much more of a chance to dwell on it though. Soon the picture Riku had been carrying glowed and shifted, turning into a card.

Kairi blinked in shock. It was Radiant Garden! Her Radiant Garden. The image presented was small and lacked detail, but the castle was there, whole and unbroken, and in the front were flowers. The pathways were the pastel mosaic pattern that she remembered.

It was her home.

“It’s so pretty,” Donald commented, “Is that your home?”

“Yes!” Kairi answered quickly, though her heart said, _Not quite_...

But maybe now she would finally get some answers. As to why the memories between her heart and her head conflicted. After just a moment longer of rest, she stood, waving off Goofy’s offer to help, then started towards the stairs.

“C’mon,” she offered them a grin, “Our friends are waiting!”

They grinned back and followed her up the stairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Rashomon effect is when the same event is given contradictory interpretations by different individuals. A bit fitting for the whole Chain of Memories plot? 
> 
> The good news is that I got through the two toughest chapters to write, and the rest should go much smoother!


	21. Riku: deepening shadows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Release date in Japan day! Now we all go into hiding off of social media until the promised day yeah? (I will still be writing and posting fic though.)

Riku groaned, still feeling a little sick as he opened his eyes. Travel through the dark corridors always made him feel nauseous. Maleficent told him that he’d get used to the feeling, so he was used to gritting his teeth and bearing it.

Bright light assaulted his eyes as soon as he opened them and he groaned, rolling over to try and avoid it.

“Maybe you should just stay asleep.”

Riku’s eyes shot open, this time ignoring the brightness and all thoughts of sickness gone. “Ansem!” As fast as he could manage, he got to his feet.

At the end of a long white corridor, was the man himself, smirking at him.

“So angry. Is that any way to show appreciation for the one who managed to get you out of the Realm of Darkness?”

“But Aqua and Mickey--”

“Wouldn’t have been able to traverse through the corridor without becoming lost altogether.” Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, sighed in annoyance, “As it was, you were barely able to make it. Turning from the darkness so soon?”

“I told you!” Riku spat out, “I’m not going to use it again.”

“It’s part of you now,” Ansem stated, “No matter how far you try to run, the darkness will always hold sway over your heart. And so will I--” With that, the man waved his hand and Riku instantly felt every muscle in his body go stiff.

Teal eyes widened as he struggled. “I don’t-- how do you have so much power here? We’re back in the realm of light.”

“Ahh, but as I said before, light casts shadows on your heart. Deepening them. The closer you get to the light, the easier it will be to control you.”

Riku frowned, took a deep breath and tried to regain control of his body. “What do you want?”

“Hmph,” Ansem scoffed, and in that instant, Riku regained control of his own limbs. “For you to realize that only Darkness will bring the power that you seek.”

“Yeah?” Riku raised an eyebrow, “Well, in case you forgot, I used everything you had to give, but Kairi was still able to beat me. All that power, and it wasn’t even enough to bring Sora back.”

“Wasn’t it?”

Riku frowned, not sure what Ansem meant, and he summoned his blade just in case.

“That blade was a gift,” Ansem muttered, “Do you really think you can use it against me?”

Riku faltered for a moment. Would the blade respond as well if fighting against the man who gave it to him?

_The blade’s origins don’t necessarily matter. Just how you use it._

Right. How could he have already forgotten his vow? It didn’t matter where Soul Eater came from, it was his now. And he would use it to protect the things that matter.

“I can use it just fine to kick your ass!” Riku shouted, getting ready should Ansem attack.

Ansem scoffed, “Arrogance will get you nowhere.”

Instead of attacking, he tossed something at Riku. Instinctively, the silver-haired boy caught it, finding it to be some sort of card.

“Perhaps you just need a reminder,” Ansem said, then waved his hands again.

Riku gasped, clutching his chest, feeling something tighten and deepen in his heart. “What-- what did you do?!”

“Tempered the darkness in your heart. It won’t be as wild, which makes it easier to use.”

“I told you, I’m not gonna use it!” Riku growled, attacking wildly.

His blade passed right through.

Ansem let out a laugh, “I’m just a projection from your own heart, but I’m sure there will be plenty of things you can take your anger out on if you continue forward.”

“Why would I do anything you said?” Riku muttered.

“I don’t think you’ll be going backward...” Ansem pointed behind Riku.

The boy turned, eyes widening when he realized that the corridor ended in a plain wall. Ahead of him, behind Ansem, was the only door in the whole space.

Going forward really was the only option.

“Fine. But I don’t have to be happy about it.”

“Well, then I guess I should give you a little incentive.” Ansem waved his hands, already disappearing. “I believe you tossed that boy through a portal earlier. He may have ended up in the same place.”

“Sora?!” Riku shouted, “Sora’s here?”

The man didn’t say anything, merely smirked. And disappeared.

Riku growled, still tugging at his shirt.

The darkness in his heart... he could still feel it, like something slimy in his chest that he wanted to just get out. He glanced down at the card, only half surprised to find it was a depiction of Hollow Bastion. If Ansem wanted him to remember the darkness, that would be a good place to start. That was where it all started to go wrong.

_Please... it all started going wrong back on the islands..._

Riku shook his head, dismissing those thoughts. Whatever was ahead, he couldn’t let those thoughts lead him back into the darkness.

If Sora was ahead, Riku wanted to be able to face him with a heart free of the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Riku alone is not nearly as fun to write. He needs to find his friends soon!


	22. Interlude II: Namine & Axel

“What are you sulking for?” Larxene muttered, shoving Namine’s shoulder far too hard. "C'mon! You almost got what you wanted!"

The smaller blonde flinched and let out a small squeak as she nearly lost her grip on her drawing pad. She hurried to catch it, feeling a strange sort of tightness in her chest. Strange... If she didn’t know better, she’d say it was like her heart dropped.

Which was silly. She didn’t _have_ a heart. It must have been an echo. A subconscious reaction that part of her said she _should_ have had.

“Don't tease her, Larxene.”

Namine felt that heart drop feeling again, though this time it was much worse.

The boy knelt down, gathering up the crayons that had also fallen off of Namine’s lap, “Here. You okay?” His teal eyes, framed by silver-white hair, were so sincere. 

Namine blushed in shame, quickly looking away. “Yes. I’m fine.”

She felt his hand pat her arm, so gentle when it really shouldn’t be. “It’ll be okay, Nam. I’ll take care of what’s hurting you. She won’t be able to hurt you like that again.”

“I...” Namine trailed off, hugging her sketchbook to her chest instead.

“I just need a bit more strength. Then it’ll all be over.” The replica offered her a small grin, then left. The door slammed shut behind him. Both Larxene and the other figure in the room, the tall scientist known as Vexen, watched with interest and barely contained amusement.

There was only a beat of silence before Larxene began to laugh. Small giggles that soon erupted into full out cackling.

“I can’t believe that this is really working. That puppet actually believes he’s real?” The taller blonde was practically choking on her words, her glee was so apparent.

“It is strange,” Vexen added, his own voice barely containing his glee. “Just a simple adjustment to the data and he truly has become closer to the real Riku.” He seemed intrigued by the theory and quickly disappeared, to test it further perhaps. Namine just wished he hadn’t left her alone with Larxene.

_What is real?_ She wondered. How were she and the replica any different? Was it because of how they came into being?

She remembered the boy when Larxene first dragged him into the room. Confused, but brave, ready to fight for his freedom.

  


_“What the heck do you want with me?” the boy spat, fists coming up and his expression defiant, though his eyes seemed unsure._

_Namine found herself intrigued by the newcomer. The replica Vexen had been working on. She thought that with the memories she had taken, the replica might have taken on Sora’s form. She should have realized. As the memories were all of Riku, then, of course, the replica would take on Riku’s form. The Riku that Sora saw._

_“Calm down, brat,” Larxene groaned, shoving the boy closer to Namine. “We just gotta fix that irritating flaw of yours. Then you’ll be good as new.”_

_“I’m not flawed!” the boy huffed, pushing back against the taller blonde. “I know I’m not the real Riku like you want. But I’m not gonna let you use me to hurt them.” He growled waving his hand as if trying to summon something._

_A keyblade perhaps?_

_Namine briefly wondered where Sora would have seen Riku use a keyblade._

_But of course, the replica was so new, and not technically real, so a keyblade did not form. It would have to be something she would have to add in later. A fake Soul Eater for a fake boy._

_He growled when the blade didn’t respond and glanced behind him. He blinked a bit at her. “Kai--?” He let out a grunt when Larxene grabbed a hold of his shoulder again, pushing him closer to Namine._

_Namine shook her head, “No. I’m sorry, I’m--”_

_“No need for introductions if you’re just gonna rewrite his memory anyway,” Larxene chided, then pushed the boy forward._

_It seemed that the boy’s body was still new to him, and he tripped over his own feet, falling in front of Namine._

_“Vexen’s little experiment didn’t work out quite as planned,” Larxene huffed, crossing her arms. “He has all of Sora’s memories of Riku, but from the wrong perspective. He knows he’s a fake.”_

_“So what?!” The replica shouted already trying to stand, “I can still kick your--”_

_Larxene kicked the boy in the stomach, sending him back a few feet. “And he’s belligerent. Not good for our plans.” She glared at Namine, “So, can you fix him? I’d hate to tell Vexen to destroy the one good copy we got here. Saix already took the other one, and who knows how long it’ll take to make another. Or if the brat’s memories would even survive the destruction of the container.”_

_“Sora’s memories?” Namine raised a hand to her mouth. She knew that the memories she took would be used to create the replica but she didn't realize that--_

_“No,” The replica groaned. “I won’t-- you can’t...” He gasped, trying to pull himself up, “I won’t let you do that. If it’s the last thing I do. I promise I will protect these memories.”_

_“Ahh,” Larxene smirked. “Now_ that’s _something I think we can work with. Right, Namine?”_

_“I--” Namine lowered her hand. “I-- yes... I can.”_

_She knew the replica was looking at her, but she couldn’t make herself look back. If this was what she had to do to become real then she would have to do it._

_“Please,” the boy whispered. “Don’t--” He let out another grunt of pain. Larxene might have hurt him again._

_Hurriedly, Namine opened a page. If-- if the replica would just listen to Larxene and the others he wouldn’t get hurt. So, if she fixed him, maybe then Larxene would stop--_

_The boy let out another grunt of pain._

_She hoped._

_Then she picked up a crayon and began to draw._

  


Larxene _had_ stopped. Physically hitting him at least. She still mocked him (and Namine) at every opportunity.

“What’s got her in a fit?”

Namine flinched a little in shock, then glanced up. “I-- the Replica...” She trailed off when Axel raised an eyebrow.

“She would find that funny.” The redhead let out a sigh. “So, anything new from our friend over there?”

A little reluctantly she glanced over to where Axel had gestured. The boy... the boy who shone so brightly in Kairi’s memories. The boy whose own memories had provided the lifeline that Namine had clung on to.

_Sora..._

He was so quiet and still. It was unsettling since Namine was used to the vibrant boy she knew from Kairi’s memories. His spiky brown hair was almost droopy... his eyes glazed over as he breathed slowly in and out.

Belatedly, she remembered that Axel had asked a question. “No. He’s still sleeping.” She let out a sigh.

“Is it--” Green eyes glanced over to where Larxene had now calmed her laughter and was now smirking at the door, flipping her knife in the air. “Hey, Larxene. So about that plan. Are you sure it’s gonna work? The keyblade hero might not agree just cause you have her boyfriend and _sister_ held hostage.”

She glared over at them, a gaze so cold that it caused a shiver of fear to run down Namine’s spine. She felt a warm hand on her back, and when she glanced up, she thought she saw the redhead almost give a smile.

“Don’t mention _it,_ you idiot,” Larxene grumbled, “That asshole has ears everywhere.” With that, she summoned a portal, and vanished, apparently done talking to them.

“Aww. She still doesn’t trust me.” Axel huffed, chuckling a little. Then he walked over to Sora, rubbing the brunet spikes in a manner Namine could only describe as fond.

“You miss him,” She observed. “Roxas, I mean.”

The redhead flinched, then realized what he had been doing, pulling away quickly. “Can’t miss anyone. Don’t have a heart to do that with...”

“I think you can still miss someone,” Namine observed. After all didn’t she miss Kairi? In a way?

Axel hummed in acknowledgment, then turned back to her. “So, zombie boy here. How can he be here and Roxas be there?” He glanced back at Sora. “I thought---”

“I don’t quite understand it either.” Namine let out a sigh. “The sleeping though, that’s all my fault.” She felt hot and cold at the same time. Hugging her sketchbook again, she let out another sigh. “Because... of the memories I took. I loosened the bond that connected Sora to Riku. Then I couldn’t control it. More and more memories flowed out of him. I could catch some of them. Mostly just the ones that connected to that first memory I took. The ones of Riku.”

“That still doesn’t quite explain the zombie.”

“I don’t _know_...” Namine stressed. “I don’t know my own powers. I can only guess.”

“Then guess,” Axel suggested. “I promise you won’t get any points taken away if it’s the wrong answer."

She glanced up, finding his expression sincere. That was a change. Slowly, she released her grip on her sketchbook, letting it fall into her lap. “I have two theories. One is that as more and more memories slipped away the less his heart could take it. And put him to sleep till he could be whole again.”

Axel nodded, “And the second theory?”

Namine fiddled with her fingers, less sure about this one. “It has to do with that door you’re looking for.”

The reaction was immediate. Axel flinched, his fingers clenching. Namine flinched as well, sure he’d summon his weapons.

After a moment though, he seemed to relax. “How’d you know?”

Namine blinked at the change. “The castle...” she shook her head. “It’s kind of complicated. But... because the castle and I are working together to shuffle Kairi’s memories... Our magic is tied... so... I know the castle keeps rearranging itself whenever you go looking for something. I just guessed it was a door of some kind.” She didn’t mention the _other_ thing the castle told her. About another boy sleeping deep within its folds.

Another boy who seemed was connected to the boy in front of her now.

“So it _is_ purposely keeping me away,” Axel murmured. “Alright then.”

“Axel,” Namine started, “I don’t think that door is something that’s supposed to open. Not yet.”

“Hey, I wasn’t told to open the door. Just find it. If it doesn’t want to be found, that’s not my problem.” He sighed, then absently rubbed a hand through Sora’s hair again. “Well, Sora’s sleeping here doesn’t seem to be affecting Roxas. Saix mentioned him in his last demand for information.”

Despite the situation, Namine found herself smiling. She had never met the blonde that was Axel’s friend, but she felt like she knew him. “I’m glad. Though...” She let out another sigh. “If Larxene and Marluxia get their way, I’m not sure how that’s gonna affect him. Sora is still half of Roxas in a way. If the destruction of those memories hurts Sora then--”

“Then Roxas might be affected as well,” Axel finished. He let out a sigh, walking over to the corner of the room that held the tiny Namine doll in a cage. A 'present' from Marluxia.

Namine let out a sigh as well. She hadn’t meant for any of this to happen. Her actions were having wider repercussions than she realized. Kairi, Sora, Riku, the Replica, Roxas... there were so many people she had to apologize to.

Would she ever get the chance?

“You know, Namine...”

Startled, she glanced up, finding Axel fiddling with the cage, flipping the lock and opening the door.

“There’s no one here who would stop you if you wanted to make things right.”

Namine blinked. Was he--

He glanced back at her, then motioned towards the door. “Better hurry. Larxene didn’t leave for no reason. Something’s going down.”

Quickly, she hopped off her chair, hesitating for only a moment to glance at Sora.

She heard Axel chuckle. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on him.”

Namine hesitated for a moment longer. Did she dare trust him? Finally, she turned to leave. She would have to. Kairi was in immediate danger.

As the door slid shut behind her, she thought she heard Axel chuckle a little louder, but she didn’t stop to analyze that.

She would have to stop this. All of it. She had to save Kairi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm probably butchering Axel's manipulative personality that was featured in the original Chain of Memories. If so I apologize, but I also see him looking at Namine and Sora (and Roxas) and just being like "No these are my smoll friends now and I will protect them. But also must be cool at same time." 
> 
> I hope the reasoning behind the Replica's creation and background make sense. I obviously couldn't completely rip from the original as the Replica makes his appearance before Riku is in the castle in this fic, but I also hope you guys like where I end up going with this idea as well...


	23. Kairi: memory collapsing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was definitely one of the hardest chapters to write. Both in tone and sequence of events, so I hope it turned out okay! :D

Kairi found herself blinking in the bright light as she opened the door. As her eyes adjusted, she looked around, unable to hold back a gasp.

It was her home!

Unlike the destruction of the world she had just been in minutes before, this world was whole and beautiful. The mosaic pathways under her feet shined in the sunlight, and the castle in the distance was uncorrupted by a heartless insignia. She grinned, turning back to exclaim her excitement to Donald and Goofy--

Oh. Right...

They wouldn’t be able to see this world.

There was a shift to her left, and she turned, keyblade coming to hand without much of a thought. A Shadow!

“Here too?” she wondered aloud. As she raced towards it though, she felt a sudden surge of fear run through her. Like this wasn’t the first time she had seen a Shadow on the mosaic streets.

As if this had happened before.

She gritted her teeth, easily dispatching the heartless and knowing that several more would pop up to take its place.

With every heartless that appeared, more and more memories shifted around in her head. Her Grandmother trying to barricade the door. Their neighbor screaming in fright. People on the streets falling down, not getting up and instead their hearts rising into the sky. The whole world just shaking apart.

It hadn’t been the first time though that the world shook apart. Hadn’t she been somewhere else?

The memories were almost distracting and she could tell that Goofy and Donald were concerned whenever she summoned them from the cards. She tried to shake off the images, focusing instead on moving forward. The street layout became familiar to her as she turned corners and ran up steps. She wasn’t sure exactly where she was going but her heart was leading her somewhere important.

She turned the corner, only half surprised to find herself at the fountain court. There was a boy already there. His back was to her, but she recognized that familiar tuft of blond hair.

“Roxas!” Kairi shouted, excited to see her friend. He was wearing something different than she remembered from their childhood, but she supposed that would make sense. They both grew up. 

The blonde flinched, startled, but then he turned and waved. “Kairi!”

Grinning she offered up a small smile, “Roxas! I’ve been looking for you! Namine too! How-- where--I--” Kairi cut herself off with a nervous chuckle. “Sorry. There’s so much I want to say, I don’t know where to start.”

“It’s okay!” Roxas offered up a grin of his own. “It’s so great to see you again, Kairi! We’ve been waiting for so long!”

“You have?” So Riku was lying after all. They did want to see her! “Great! My friends and I have this ship and--”

“Well, I didn’t expect them to go this far.”

Kairi gasped at the sudden voice. Turning she saw the creepy guy again, Vexen. “Roxas, run! I can handle him!”

“Who are you talking too?” Vexen asked.

“Huh?” Kairi frowned. “What the heck are you talking about? Roxas--” She turned.

The blonde was gone. She hadn’t even heard footsteps running away, Roxas had just disappeared as if--

“He never existed,” Vexen said, then cut off into a burst of startled laughter. “Well, he _doesn’t_ exist!”

“What are you talking about?” Kairi huffed, summoning her keyblade. “He was right here. What have you done--”

“I haven’t done anything,” Vexen rolled his eyes. “Just removed a stray anomaly from the experiment. I came to give you a warning.”

Kairi crouched, sure that it was just a ruse to attack her.

Vexen rolled his eyes again. “There’s an error in the plan. One I hadn’t realized till I double checked the data. If you continue to seek Namine then everything will be ruined!”

Kairi felt her brow furrowed. Everything was ruined...for him and the rest of his cloaked fiends? Wasn’t that the point? For her to ruin whatever their plan was?

She failed to see how this was a warning.

Vexen evidently saw her confused for he let out a huff. “Seeking Namine will only lead to your ruin, she isn’t who she--”

Suddenly, a wheel of fire came out of nowhere, slamming into Vexen’s chest and knocking the man to the ground.

“Vexen, Vexen...”

Kairi gasped, turning quickly to find Axel walking up.

“Don’t go giving everything away...” The taller redhead drawled, swinging his second chakram over his shoulder. “She has to figure things out on her own.”

Vexen growled as she stood back up. “You idiot! If Kairi continues on then the Superior’s plan will be--”

“Obviously,” Axel smirked.

Kairi was lost. Superior? Who was that? The guy she first met when she walked into this castle or--?

“You’re one of them then?” Vexen huffed and summoned his shield. “In league with Marluxia and Larxene?”

Axel hummed in a noncommittal tone. “See, I’ve been given these instructions though. Eliminate the traitors. And seeing as you seemed to want to detract our keyblade hero from reaching her goal.” his smirk turned dangerous and even Kairi took a step back. His second chakram reappeared in his hand. “It seems that you are the traitor.”

“What?” Vexen huffed, “How dare you-- “ He was cut off when Axel flung another chakram at him.

Kairi could only watch, not sure what to do as Axel and Vexen fought, though it became clear early that Vexen was losing. Evident by his choice of a shield as a weapon, his only real offense was a good defense and Axel was too quick to get held up by the shield for long. He burned through the blonde’s ice attacks, leaving nothing but steam and an air of humidity in his wake. Should she help Axel? Or defend Vexen?

Or do nothing at all?

The choice was soon taken out of her hands though as Axel flung his weapons at Vexen again, the fire burning through the blonde’s last defense and flinging him into a nearby wall.

“Wait!” Vexen called out, knowing he was beaten. “Don--”

“Goodbye.”

Axel snapped his fingers, and Kairi let out a shocked gasp as fire engulfed Vexen. His scream echoed in her head and she wanted to look away, or cast blizzard or something--but she was rooted to the spot as his screams were cut off and he faded away.

Her shock soon turned to fury and she turned to face Axel. “What--How-- Wasn’t Vexen your friend or something? On the same team? How could you? What are you people?!”

For a moment, Axel looked a little ashamed. Then the cool demeanor slipped back over his face and he shrugged. “You know, Kairi, I kinda wonder that myself.”

Then he stepped back into a dark portal and disappeared.

Kairi huffed, debating going after him, but the portal disappeared before she could decide. She let out a sigh, still feeling a little ill at the memory of what she had just witnessed. She hadn't liked Vexen exactly, but to go out like that. The image made her feel sick and she tried not to think about it. Instead, she stumbled down the pathway ahead as if running away from that place could somehow make the memory of what had just happened disappear.

She glanced up, finding solace in the imposing but familiar image of the castle in front of her. The half-remembered dreams seemed to come into sharp focus. The castle. She remembered how to get to the castle and the library.

She had a feeling that’s where she had to go.

Evidently, the world thought so too as no heartless tried to stop her as she made her way easily through the streets. It wasn’t until she passed the shops though that she realized why the world felt so strange.

It was completely empty.

She frowned. Why would it be empty? Outside of Roxas--and Vexen and Axel-- she hadn’t met any other residents of Radiant Garden. Now that she had realized it, more images seemed to superimpose themselves over the sight in front of her. People milling about and purchasing items to have on hand. Palace guards would patrol the area around the castle, quickly dispersing any fights and arguments.

They had said-- Axel and the other cloaked figure-- they had said that she would meet people in her memories. But where were all the people she could remember?

Where was her grandmother?

She could only keep moving forward to the castle. She hoped there would be answers inside.

The castle was just as empty, and she traveled up the stairs to the library. The door easily unlocked at her touch and she walked in, heading back to where her Grandmother would tell her stories.

“Kairi?”

She gasped, turning around to see Donald and Goofy, both of them looking around in curiosity. “How?”

“We don’t know...” Goofy scratched his head. “We just sorta... followed you in here.”

“Where are we?”

“In the castle at Radiant Garden. The one that I can remember.”

“Your home then?”

“Yeah.” Kairi nodded, then continued towards the table in the back, almost in a trance.

Once she got there, she let out a sigh of relief.

Blue eyes hid behind a fringe of blonde hair, as a pale face offered up a shy grin.

“You came for me,” Namine said.

Kairi let out a small laugh of disbelief. She had found her sister at last.“Of course, I did!” She ran to the table, wrapping the blonde up in her arms, so tight so she could never lose Namine again. “I’m so sorry Namine. I never wanted to--”

“It’s okay.” Namine stood up, dislodging Kairi’s grip but taking the redhead’s hands in her own. “We just have to save the others right? Roxas and, of course, Sora too. I think I remember seeing them around here.” the blonde trailed off, looking towards the far door.

“Sora? Sora’s in the castle too?” Kairi was excited. They could find Roxas again and get Sora. Maybe even convince Riku to come. Then they could go leave this memory of their home and actually go _home_.

Suddenly, a thought came to mind. The picture that Riku had carried.

_“There aren’t any castles on the island unless they’re made out of sand.”_

She frowned, clutching her head as another image. A stretch of sandy beach, the sound of waves. The smell of salt air and sunscreen.

Why did that feel like home?

“It’s just like the story Grandma would read,” Namine said, her bright smile distracting Kairi from the thoughts of driftwood and palm trees. “You’re the one rescuing your prince, right?”

Kairi frowned trying to shake off the image of the water. Gazing out into a sunset with--

“Yeah,” Kairi shook her head again, “Yeah, gotta rescue Sora, that sleepyhead.” She tried to laugh but there was pang in her heart and the thought that Sora wasn’t hers to save.

Of course, he was. He was her true lov--

_No!_

“No!”

Kairi gasped as the sudden feeling in her heart was echoed by another voice. Namine’s voice. But the Namine in front of her hadn’t spoken.

“Kairi!”

The redhead turned and gasped. There was another Namine standing by Donald and Goofy. Her friends looked between the two blondes, also very confused.

“Don’t listen to me!” The new Namine shouted, holding a hand out as if to try and grab on to Kairi and pull her away.

“You came to rescue me. Now you have to save Sora.” The Namine still holding her hand murmured, as if she didn’t even hear the other Namine.

“You can’t believe me!”

Kairi flipped around, not sure who to believe. There was a sort of softness in the eyes of the Namine holding her hand, but desperation in the eyes of the one reaching out to her.

“Kairi!” The other one shouted. “I’m not supposed to be in this memory! The story, remember the story? About the fisherman’s daughter?”

Kairi hesitated by nodded. The story her and Namine found. “Of course, you and I found--”

_“No!”_ Namine shouted, shaking her head and running closer, but hesitating at actually touching the redhead. “Kairi, you have to remember. Who was it that really discovered the story?”

“What do you mean, Namine? You and--”

Suddenly, the memory of Gramma reading the story was shattered, and instead, the image of watching a ten-year-old Riku reading the story to a sick Sora took its place. The memory was so... so firm and real and _right_. He read it with confidence, only stumbling when faced with an unfamiliar word or turn of phrase. Sora had drifted off somewhere in the middle, too tired and sick to continue but finding comfort in the older boy’s voice. From the open window, Kairi could feel the breeze, smell the ocean air. The memory made the tension in her whole body fade, a weight she hadn’t realized she had been carrying.

The ocean...

With that thought, other images came to her. Chasing Sora and Riku through the surf, laughing when Riku would turn and splash her and Sora with a grin. Her and Riku helping Sora on homework, Riku plying him with promises to practice swordplay afterward. Going home after school to her adoptive parents--her _parents!_ \-- and finding comfort in their arms after a bad nightmare.

But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t find Roxas or Namine anywhere in those memories.

She gasped, the images and feelings almost too much and she felt both Donald and Goofy come over to either side to support her. “Namine, what--”

“I’m sorry,” Namine whispered. When Kairi looked up, she saw tears falling down from blue eyes so like her own. “I’m so sorry.”

“Namine don’t--” Kairi felt bad. Namine... there was something wrong. Maybe she had Namine had been separated when their world fell, but then why did she have _other_ memories of growing up with her sister. The memories didn’t... they overlapped and twisted. She remembered chasing Sora and Riku through the ocean surf and chasing them through the Radiant Garden marketplace. She could remember teasing Sora about his homework both in the castle library and at a small but cozy kitchen table. She remembered Sora and Riku practicing swordplay on the beach and in the castle gardens.

But Namine and Roxas were only in the memories that featured Radiant Garden and the castle.

“Don’t cry,” Kairi said instead. “Please don’t. We can figure this out. I--”

“I’m so sorry,” Namine repeated. “But I don’t-- I don’t belong anywhere in your memories. I should never have--” She cut herself off and flinched as if she was being tugged out of the room by an invisible force. “Wait, don’t, Ri--” she let out a small shocked noise before her voice cut off as she disappeared entirely.

Kairi gasped, looking back to where Namine’s double had stood, but much like Roxas, she too had disappeared without a trace.

What was going on?!

Kairi looked towards the door. The only way to find out was to get out of this world. To go back to the castle. She gently but firmly threw off Goofy and Donald’s supporting arms then ran ahead.

“Wait!”

“Kairi!”

But she couldn’t wait anymore. What was going on? Why did she have two sets of memories? Why did Namine say she didn’t belong in Kairi’s memories? Namine was her sister; it would be more ridiculous if Namine _didn’t exist_ in her memory.

She raced through the rest of the rooms in the castle, barely registering the heartless that appeared. These memories that overlapped, one felt right, the other-- the other felt more and more like a dream.

Except for the very early memories. Picking flowers in the garden, reaching out for her grandmother. Strange monsters that appeared from nowhere and a young woman with blue hair and the most amazing blade. The woman who had saved her. Who placed a magic spell on her necklace.

Kairi placed her hand over that same necklace now, feeling as she did so a sense of calm rushing over her. She had completely forgotten about it in her trek through the castle. A spell to send her to a light that would protect her. The light of Destiny Islands, her friendship with Sora and Riku. That was her light, the light that would always shine in the darkness.

The more and more she focused on her life on the islands, the more the other memories... they didn’t fade exactly, but they took on the distorted feeling of a dream. Like it had happened to someone else.

The more she thought about it though, the angrier and more frustrated she felt. Why did she have these two sets of memories? How did Namine get caught in all this?

The only place she was sure she would find answers though was in Castle Oblivion. So, when she reached the end of the rooms, she burst open the final door, ready to confront whatever was behind it.


	24. Riku: a promise to keep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only a few more days left! I will post two chapters tomorrow and the last two the day after. I didn't quite get to finish this before the day the game came out, but finishing it on the day is alright, yeah?

This place was too bizarre for words. Hallway after hallway with doors that opened into various worlds, some familiar (it had been nice to actually take his frustrations out on dragon Maleficent, even if she was just a memory) and some not, though he did recognize the villains that he met at the end of each world. Taking them out was easy enough, though this whole “use the cards to fight” thing was _really_ annoying. All throughout the rooms, Ansems voice haunted him.

_“Isn’t it strange that you’re only meeting dark figures?”_

“Shut up.” Riku had decided to just ignore Ansem’s taunts. He remembered Aqua’s worry over the man, and how Xehanort had manipulated Terra into using the darkness. He hoped that if he just ignored Ansem, the other would fade away.

It wasn’t working so far, but he was going to keep _trying_.

He exited the strange Halloween themed world, feeling like there were still cobwebs in his hair and resisting the urge to shudder. He _hated_ spiders. Creepy crawly things with twice as many legs as needed. Only Sora could look at such a creature, call it cute, and help it back outside (and far, _far_ away from Riku). Even Kairi wasn’t overly thrilled with tiny bugs whenever they managed to invade the play area.

He ran another hand through his hair, cringing when they came away slightly sticky with web fragments. He stuck out his tongue and wiped his hands on his pants leg, before turning towards the next corridor, expecting another endless staircase that would lead to the next world, hopefully, one without spiders.

Instead, he saw a man waiting for him at the end of the corridor. He was huge, easily twice Riku’s height, and at least three times the boy’s weight. Though a long black cloak engulfed the figure, the silver-haired boy could easily imagine that the fabric was hiding large muscles. The man carried a strange looking weapon, something dangerous.

He approached cautiously. “I hope you’re here to offer a shortcut,” he drawled, hoping that the man couldn’t hear his racing heart. “Otherwise, you’re kinda in my way.” _Good job, Riku! If your goal was to antagonize the man, congrats! You did it!_

_Well, he_ is _i_ _n your way._

_Shut up! You’re not helping!_ Riku hurried to shut up the Ansem in his head or in his heart or wherever the man was hiding now. The last thing he needed was a distraction.

“You have the power of darkness,” the man at the end of the corridor rumbled, sounding much like the uneasy thunder sound before a volcanic eruption on one of the other islands back home. “And yet you still fear it. Why?”

“I’m not gonna let it have control over me.” Riku clenched his fist, feeling Soul Eater respond quickly.

At the sight of his blade, the stranger scoffed. “And yet you’ll still wield it? You cannot have it both ways.” He lifted his weapon and faster than Riku thought possible, the man slammed it into the ground, sending up shockwaves of-- was that rock? Riku jumped back a few feet as the rocks disintegrating, seemingly turning into more power for the man to use.

“You must utilize all of your power to become stronger,” the man grumbled, lifting his blade. “If you refuse to accept that, then the Organization has no use for you.”

“What--” Riku cut himself off as he had to dodge another surprisingly fast strike. _Organization?_

The man gave Riku no time to think about asking questions, the silver-haired boy focusing more on trying not to die. He noticed that the corridor had shifted at some point, turning into a circular arena with a barrier around it. He tried to strike and block, feeling himself use the power of the cards as he did so. Against his will, he found himself slipping into using darker powers as he tried to fight off the man until his clothes melted into the same tight darkness suit he had worn when Ansem had taken control of his body. He hated it, feeling like Ansem was going to take control any minute. But he couldn’t stop it, the darkness came to him much more easily than any light magic.

He had just dodged yet another earthquake like attack, the aftershocks leaving his legs feeling like jelly. He stumbled to the edge of the arena, using a few cards to try and cast a barrier like he had seen Aqua using. A few moments, he just needed a few moments to regroup. Suddenly he saw a couple of cards hopping and gliding around the arena. Had he dropped some earlier?

But then the cards turned just enough that he could see Aqua and Mickey’s faces grinning up at him.

What?

Riku didn’t think, he just rushed in and nabbed the cards, not sure what they could do, but he held them up anyway, like when he summoned a new world.

“Huh?”

“Riku?”

“Mickey! Aqua!” Riku shouted out in relief, then nearly collapsed from a mixture of injury and exhaustion. Belatedly he noticed that their forms weren’t quite all there. They were see through. But still, he was relieved to see them.

“Heal!” He heard Mickey shout and instantly his aches and pains faded and Riku felt his strength restored.

“Fire!” Aqua shouted as well, and the man was distracted by the blast of flame that shot towards him.

“Riku what’s going on?” Aqua questioned, but she was already fading away.

“We’ll be there soon!” Mickey shouted confidently as he also faded.

Riku breathed heavily, still not sure what the hell just happened, but he also didn’t have much time to think about it. The man was back on him, already raising his weapon.

_Move!_

Riku did so instinctually, rolling out of the way, though he frowned as he did so. Who said that? It-- it wasn’t Ansem...

_Pay attention!_

Okay, now _that_ was Ansem. Unfortunately, he was also right. Riku couldn’t focus on differentiating the voices inside his head right now.

He dodged away from another blow. He couldn’t keep doing this forever. The heal spell Mickey had cast may have renewed his strength, but what good would that do against this.

Suddenly, the man slammed his weapon into the ground again, sending up a series of jagged rocks that unfortunately caught Riku, sending him flying into the air. Riku let out a grunt as he landed, feeling a twinge shoot up his leg from his ankle. Twisted it, maybe.

_Use his strength against him._

It was that odd voice again. The one that wasn’t quite Ansem but also felt just as familiar.

_You gotta suggestion for that?_ Riku asked in his head, not really expecting an answer.

_Don’t you know?_ Was the response anyway, though it _was_ from Ansem. Which was irritating for so many reasons.

Riku groaned, not really up for mind games. He was too busy dodging death by blunt force trauma.

Suddenly, he had an image form in his mind. The feeling that he should swing his keyblade hard at the ground. Riku did so, trusting the feeling and hoping it would do something. As the blade swung down, he felt a strong force behind it, as if someone was helping him. Soul Eater made contact and sharp, jagged rocks shot up, meeting the stranger’s own earth magic and overpowering it in an instant. With some dismay, Riku noticed that his rocks had the dark, oddly smooth appearance of the stones from the realm of darkness. But still... he had never used magic like that before. It felt--

Powerful.

As the stranger was knocked out of the ring, the barriers dropping and the rest of the corridor coming into view, Riku couldn’t help the slight smirk that overcame his features, even as he panted from the fight. He raised his blade, ready to attack. “Giving up yet?” He shouted, rushing in for another attack. If he could just knock this guy out, he could move on.

The man growled. “Don’t mock me!” With a sudden burst of strength, the man swung his weapon.

It slammed into Riku’s ribs and he gasped, the momentum behind the swing sending him flying towards the ceiling, which he hit with a bruising force. His vision swam and darkened and as he fell to meet the ground, Riku was somewhat glad that he would be unconscious before his face hit the marble. He didn’t really want to be awake for that humiliation.

_...Riku!_

_Riku!_

Mickey? Aqua?

_Riku!_

Kairi...

_RIKU!_

Sora!

Riku gasped as he woke up, and he heard a strange, choked off sound. Turning towards it, he registered with some surprise that the strange man was... fading.

“I’m sorry Zexion... this was a fight I should not--” The man’s voice was cut off as he faded away completely.

Teal blue eyes widened in confusion and he reached out for a moment, blinking in shock when he saw that his hand was shrouded in dark magic. With growing trepidation, he looked down at his other hand, only half surprised to find Soul Eater already out, it’s blade also covered in darkness.

What happened?

What did Ansem--

_That man, did-- Did I--_

Riku cut himself off before he could finish the thought, though the ill feeling that came with it already affected him. The darkness outfit disintegrated, as he felt sick, hurrying over to the steps so he could sit on them, breathing deeply, trying desperately to not throw up.

What had he _done?!_

_He was in your way. You just did what was necessary._

“SHUT UP!” Riku felt his voice crack as he shouted, feeling every nerve ending grow cold. He... he destroyed someone. Someone who had friends and maybe a family. How could he face them now? Kairi and--and Sora? They would never-- Sora would _never--_

He drew his knees up, burying his face in them and letting out a small sob. How would he ever face Sora again?

_It wasn’t really you..._

What did that matter?

“Riku...you gotta keep fighting...”

_Huh?_

Riku’s head shot up, surprised to find Aqua staring back at him in concern. She wasn’t quite all there though, as he could see the doorway of the corridor through her. “What-- how?”

“I don’t know exactly.” She glanced behind her as if listening for something, then turned back, offering a small grin. “Mickey’s projecting a bit of his power here. Something to do with how we were able to connect while you were in battle... it gave him a better indication to where you were. It’s only a bit right now, so I’m kinda--”

“See through.” Riku finished and let out a sigh, placing his forehead against his knees again.

“Riku,” Aqua sighed as well. “You gotta keep fighting.”

“What does that mean?” Riku huffed, shaking his head. “How can I--”

“I don’t know,” Aqua admitted. There was a beat of silence, then Aqua spoke again, “Mickey says that the three of us should make a promise. To keep fighting for our friends.”

Riku glanced up at her. For his friends? Right. Sora and Kairi-- he couldn’t-- could _not_ let this be what drives him over the edge. “Right. For our friends.”

Aqua huffed out a small chuckle and a grin, holding out her hand.

Riku reached out to take it but found that his hand passed right through. He let out a sigh.

“It’s alright,” Aqua reassured him, “We shook hands in our hearts. That’s what matters.”

“Right,” Riku lowered his hand then stood up. “I just--” He clutched at his heart. “He’s getting to me. Ansem, I mean.”

“I--” Aqua cut herself off, quickly turning around. “Riku, I-- Something’s coming. Just hold on okay? Think of your friends. Think of Sora! That’s what keeps the darkness at bay for me. Thinking of Ven and Ter--” the connection cut off and Aqua blinked out.

“Aqua!” Riku called out, but she was gone. He let out a sigh, turning back to the stairs that led forward.

Think of Sora, huh?

He could do that... Just the thought of him, his ever-present grin and crazy brown hair. Riku felt his heart lighten. The brunet’s kindness and stubbornness and willingness to always reach out to those that were hurting. Sora was beautiful, inside and out and Riku missed him so much. Even in the realm of darkness, even when he was losing his memories, the brunet found reasons to smile. Riku wished... he wished so much that he had taken the chance to kiss his best friend. To see if Sora would smile at that as well.

He had to get through this to find out. To see Sora again, and Kairi, and Mickey and Aqua... to see all of them.

He would keep that promise. He would keep fighting the darkness, to find his light again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was he other chapter that gave me so many problems to write. The only note I had written on it was "Riku fights Lexeus" and that was it.


	25. Kairi: never settle for less

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys, this is it. The chapter that was written before I even finished the first fic. I've had this confrontation in my mind for ages and really kind of shaped Kairi's arc throughout this whole thing, and I'm so ecstatic it's finally getting published.

“Namine!” Kairi burst through the doors. “Namine!”

“Kai--” The rest of the shout was cut off.

Kairi growled, “Riku, what are you doing?”

“I told Namine I’d protect her!” Riku shouted back, one arm trying to push Namine behind him while the other raised his blade. The darkness outfit still shrouded him.

Namine looked torn, eyes darting between Riku and Kairi. The redhead couldn’t stand the look of fear on the other girl’s face, so she raised her blade as well.

“Riku, something’s definitely wrong here. Can’t we talk about this?” Kairi tried one last time, knowing that Sora would want her to.

“I’m done talking!” Riku shouted, raising his blade higher, ready to strike. “I just want you to disappear!”

Kairi flinched and immediately held out her own blade to block.

Their blades crossed with a resounded clang that echoed throughout the corridor, and Kairi hurried to push back. She took a swing at his legs, but he easily jumped over it, dodging on the floor till he tried to take his own swing at her unprotected back. Kairi growled in frustration, firing off a few blizzard attacks, unsurprised when he fired back with a dark firaga.

She switched over to some higher level magic she had learned and tried summoning Genie for back up, but the magic only seemed to distract or disarm Riku for a few moments, not long enough to dish out any critical blows. For his part, Riku was relying on his own magic, cloaking himself in darkness and rushing at her in controlled wild attacks. She grunted when his latest strike managed to clip her side and she rushed to heal. A quick strike with her own keyblade the next time he rushed in led to his own gasp of pain and she saw him take a quick swig from a potion jar.

Kairi launched into another attack, firing off a thunder spell that nailed Riku every time he raised his blade, but just as she casted her last strike, Riku slammed his blade down on her shoulder from above, using the momentum of his strike to bounce off and slam down again. Kairi flinched and dodged out of the way, unfortunately not completely out of the range of his final slam to the ground which caused a shockwave to form. She fell to her knees and whispered a quick time stop spell to at least give her time to think up a new strategy.

She struck few times while Riku was frozen, smirking a little when the blows affected and stunned him after the spell wore off. She wished she could just do that on repeat, but the spell took a lot out of her and she was already depleted as it was. Riku took just a moment to steady himself before firing another dark fireball, which she counted with her own keyblade, slamming it back where it came from.

They were too evenly matched and would wear each other out before long. Hopefully not before Kairi ran out of cure cards.

“--op!”

Huh? Kairi shook her head. Was someone shouting?”

“I said stop!” Namine shouted again.

Kairi froze. Namine had sounded desperate. The blonde girl quickly rushed over to Riku trying desperately to get through to him or at least hold him back.

Riku either couldn’t hear their blonde friend or didn’t care. He only shook the girl off and headed back in for another blow.

Kairi could only raise her blade in an effort to block as Namine clenched her fists.

“Riku! What about your promise?!” the blonde screamed out.

That had an effect on Riku, though Kairi wasn’t sure it was the one Namine hoped for. The boy froze in his tracks, blade halted in a downward strike. Then, almost in slow motion, he collapsed to his knees, the darkness outfit disintegrating to dust, leaving him in the last outfit Kairi saw on him when they closed the door to Kingdom Hearts.

His blade skidded across the floor, and Riku clutched at his head, grunting in severe pain.

“Riku!” Kairi called out, running towards him. “Riku, are you--”

“Kai-- Kairi?” Riku questioned, looking up at her in shock and surprise. “What are you--” He grunted again, letting out a short scream as he clutched his head.

“Riku!” She collapsed next to him, trying to wrap a comforting arm around him. Despite all that he had said just moments ago, her heart ached to know that her friend was in pain. “What-- Namine what did you do to him?!”

“I--” Namine had a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide. “I’m sorry. I just--”

“Broke the spell apparently,” a dry voice answered instead.

Kairi’s head shot up, watching as Larxene stepped out of a dark portal, her expression bored, though her eyes had a glare in them that put the redhead on edge.

“I just came down here to make sure all was going to plan, and what do I find but our little witch _ruining everything_!” The last part was shouted causing Namine to flinch and raise an arm to protect her face.

Instantly, Kairi was on her feet, summoning her keyblade and hurrying to stand in front of Namine. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Riku struggling to his feet, summoning his own blade. “Shut up! You don’t know anything!”

Larxene laughed, though there was little humor behind it. “Oh, that is hilarious! I know nothing?” She lashed out with her usual lightning speed, kicking Riku in the chest and sending him flying back towards Kairi and Namine. “Puh-lease, Princess, I don’t think I’m the one confused here. Weren’t you _just_ frustrated that you seemed to have two sets of memories going on in your head? Stupid, foolish Namine. Had to grow a conscious and lost her hold on the repressed memories. And you were _so close_.”

Riku had gasped in pain again, curling up, and still clutching his head. “Kai--Kairi, run! She’s dangerous!”

“Don’t worry! I already beat her once!” Kairi tried to reassure him, already raising her keyblade.

“I don-- Don’t mean Larxene...”

“Huh?” Kairi glanced back at him, hesitating for a moment before looking at the blonde girl who was still looking scared and nervous. “Namine?”

Riku let out another scream of pain and Kairi rushed back to him. “What’s wrong with him? Why is he hurting?”

Larxene let out another little laugh. “Oh don’t really about him. Really. He was never actually here, you see?” She stepped forward. “Why don’t you just destroy him now and find out?”

“What? No way!”

“C’mon why not?” Larxene looked genuinely confused, “That boy is the only thing standing in your way to your true love.” The woman let out a girlish giggle, “Isn’t that what you wanted? For you and Sora to run off into the sunset? Destroy him and you can, you know.”

Kairi shook her head, refusing to even consider Larxene’s words. She loved Sora, she was pretty sure about that. Her heart pounded in fear at the thought of him getting hurt.

But _True Love?_

Just a few moments ago, she had been so sure that she was in love with her best friend like that. Wanted to kiss that goofy face and see him smile. Wanted to watch the sunset with him. Wanted to hold his hand and tease him about his homework as they walked home from school.

But--

_....“I’m going to save Sora! It’s my job, it always has been!”.... Though the words were said harshly, the way he picked Sora up was anything but._

_...“I won’t... won’t let you use me for this,” Riku struggled against the man possessing his body. “Not this; Not him...” There was so much desperation and love and heartbreak in his gaze before he closed his eyes to focus on keeping the man back..._

_...“Kairi, where’s Riku?!” His blue eyes were already filling with tears when she wouldn’t answer. “I know I heard him!” ..._

_...”Riku!” The joy in Sora’s voice was nearly tangible. “I thought I’d never see you again!”..._

“Sora’s not my true love,” She admitted to herself. Then a little bit louder she said, “You’re not making a whole lot of sense. Destroying Riku--” she choked off at the feeling that caused in her heart. Riku was her best friend too. He taught her how to row a boat and how to dive for thalassa shells and found her an illustrated copy of the story she loved so much. How could she even entertain the thought of-- “Hurting him won’t erase Sora’s feelings for him.”

“Psh.” Larxene rolled her eyes. “You’re so stupid. The Riku you’re trying to protect isn’t the real one, just a receptacle. A trash bin of sorts. Just something that can be thrown away.” She stepped closer.

Kairi tried her best to cover Riku’s prone form, raising her keyblade to attack. Belatedly, she realized that Goofy and Donald had yet to emerge from the doors. Had they been left behind in the world contained in those rooms?

Or had they abandoned her?

“No!”

Kairi gasped as Namine stood in front of her.

“I won’t let you hurt Kairi!” The blonde shouted, holding her arms out.

“Move.” Larxene’s voice was absent of any false humor that had been in it earlier. At Namine’s continued defiance, she let out a growl. “You should know: I’m in an extremely foul mood!” A hand whipped out, striking Namine across the face and sending the poor girl flying across the room.

“Namine!” Kairi called out but had to stay put as the blonde woman continued to stalk towards her and Riku. “Leave them alone!”

Larxene ignored her plea, continuing to stalk towards them.

Despite her strength, Kairi was still pretty worn out from her recent battle with Riku, and the older woman was easily able to push her away from the boy.

“As I said, princess.” The blonde woman grabbed Riku roughly by the hair, and the boy let out a strangled shout as he was forcibly drawn up to his feet. “You really shouldn’t worry about this one here. He has the same amount of substance and importance as a toy, or even just the cardboard box a toy comes in. Easily reshaped and remolded and something that is just as easy to destroy. Namine was able to turn him into her puppet with just a switch of a memory.”

“What?!” Kairi groaned and tried to sit up. “Riku’s not a-” She gasped as a sharp pain twinged in her knee, but she found the strength to stand. “He’s not a puppet.” She summoned her keyblade.

Larxene rolled her eyes. “You’re more stubborn than I thought. What are you gonna do about it princess? Fight me? There’s no way you can beat me by yours--” She was cut off by a sudden shield to the face.

“Kairi’s not alone!” Goofy shouted as the shield was summoned back into his hand.

“Yeah!”

Kairi instantly felt better when Donald’s stronger heal spell washed over her. Her knees stopped shaking and she could breathe a little easier. “Donald! Goofy!”

“Sorry, Kairi.” Goofy looked a little ashamed. “We got a little lost trying to get out of there.”

“Well if someone hadn’t tripped,” Donald quacked, rolling his eyes.

Kairi huffed out a chuckle. “I’m sorry. I was just...” she trailed off, feeling tears of relief rush to her eyes. Out of everything in this crazy castle that didn’t make sense, at least Donald and Goofy were still with her. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay!” Donald exclaimed.

“One for all, right?” Goofy added

“All for one,” Kairi agreed.

“How freaking touching!” Larxene called out, a large bruise forming where Goofy’s shield had hit her. There was a crackle of energy around the wound, which instantly healed.

Kairi took a deep breath, then marched over to where Namine was sitting, still slightly dazed from the blow by Larxene. She helped the girl to her feet, then turned back to the older woman. She wanted answers. “What did you mean, that Riku wasn’t really here? He’s right there.” She indicated to where Riku was struggling to get out of the woman’s grasp.

“I guess I have to put this in small words for little princesses to understand,” Larxene sighed, gesturing with her hands. Due to her tight grip on Riku’s hair, the silver-haired boy was dragged along with every movement, his grunts of pain the only sounds he could make.

“As I said, this annoying puppet is just a trash bin for Sora’s memories of the real Riku,” Larxene continued, “Namine tweaked them a bit so the puppet thought he was the real thing.”

The blonde girl looked away, a deep sadness in her eyes.

“So, if you _crush_ this little boy’s heart...” The woman dragged Riku in front of her, the boy gasping in pain, “All of Sora’s memories of Riku will go poof! No memories, no love, no Riku. Then Sora will only have his memories of you to rely on. Who else will he fall in love with?” The blonde woman laughed as if destroying a boy’s heart was the juiciest gossip in school.

Kairi couldn’t fathom how twisted this woman was. Destroy Riku’s heart? Even if this wasn’t the real Riku, Kairi could never do that to someone else.

As for the rest...

In some shameful part of her, she knew that if she was a lesser person...if she had even a shred of darkness in her, she would have been tempted by Larxene’s offer. It was everything she had ever dreamed of, back on the island. To have Sora’s love and affection on her and her alone. It seemed so easy back then. A dream come true.

But things have changed. Kairi had changed.

“You’re wrong, Larxene,” Kairi summoned her keyblade, ready to fight. “I will never do something like that.”

Larxene huffed, finally pushing Riku away. He tripped over his own feet and seemed to struggle to get up. Namine rushed over to help him but he pushed her away lightly.

“I really don’t see what the problem is,” The woman grumbled, “You have the chance at having your true love and all you have to do is destroy the love Sora has for your rival. How easy is that? You won’t even be destroying someone real.” She gestured towards Namine. “Your beloved ‘sister’ over there even helped you out a bit, giving Sora some wonderful memories to replace the ones he lost. All you have to do is agree to whatever he says happened. It’ll be so _easy,_ right?”

The redhead felt her heart drop and she turned to stare at Namine. “You-- you changed Sora’s memories?”

“I--” Namine looked away, “They said-- I... thought it would make you happy.” She looked sideways at Larxene and Kairi rather thought that the plan to manipulate Sora like that wasn’t the Namine’s own idea. “You might have been more willing to...help them. If Sora was by your side.”

The redhead felt herself growing more and more angry by the second and she turned her glare to Larxene. “How can you be so heartless?”

To her surprise the woman laughed like Kairi had made the funniest joke in the world, “Oh wouldn’t you like to know, princess?” With that, something flashed in her hand. “If we can’t get you to come work for us willingly, we can do it by force!” Larxene threw something at her.

Kairi gasped as she felt something sharp graze her skin. Looking behind her, she saw a three-inch knife embedded into the marble floor. Before her eyes, the blade disappeared in a cloud of dark smoke. She glanced back at Larxene, just in time to see the blade reappear in the blonde’s hand.

“C’mon little girl,” Larxene goaded, brandishing more of her sharp knives, “Let’s see what you really got!”

She attacked so fast, Kairi barely had enough time to dodge. As it was, Kairi still felt the weapons graze her arm and she gasped in pain. There was something different about that move, some electric tingle in the wound.

Turning, she saw the energy crackling around Larxene.

Of course. Larxene relied on thunder magic.

Kairi could have groaned in frustration. Thunder was her best spell, but any attack with thunder in it would only make Larxene stronger. She would have to rely on fire and blizzard based attacks.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Riku pull Namine around one of the pillars, then stood guard next to it, though he still looked a little worse for wear. The redhead was glad that they were still standing. She had to defeat Larxene here and now; with the shape Riku was in, he wouldn’t stand against the crazy blonde woman for long.

The corridor melted into the familiar arena, Larxene’s smirking face greeting her from across the floor.

Kairi let out one fireball, hoping that maybe Larxene would really weak to it and she could use that for most of the fight, but the blonde took the fire magic with barely a flinch.

“I used to spar against Axel, princess. You’re gonna have to do better than that!”

Larxene was right! Kairi couldn’t rely on old tricks and basic magic to save her in this fight. Larxene wasn’t like the scientist Vexen or the easy-going Axel. She was clearly a trained fighter out to kill. Kairi would have to think of something.

The spell she had used earlier on Riku came to mind, but she knew that she probably wouldn’t have been able to pull it off a second time so soon after the first. Donald was right, if she kept trying it without more training, she’d burn out. She would have to use a different sort of strength for this.

There was a card ahead! She quickly nabbed it, Goofy’s face smiling back at her. That was good, and she found comfort in the card. Maybe they could try to knock Larxene in the air, give them more time.

_A different sort of strength._

Suddenly, she remembered an ability she, Donald, and Goofy had figured out while fighting heartless in the last world. She may not be able to defeat Larxene on her own, but with the three of them...

In between dodging and looking for cards, she managed to land a couple of attacks on Larxene whenever the blonde paused to catch her breath.

“Quit dodging you little pest!” Larxene growled.

“Why would I do that?” Kairi questioned, “I’m kind of winning!” She hoped.

Larxene growled and suddenly there were two of them coming at Kairi, blades drawn.

“What the--?!” Kairi gasped before dodging between them. The two circled and came at her again.

This time, Kairi paused and waited until both Larxene’s were almost upon her, then dodged under the blonde’s outstretched arm, dropping the keyblade in the process. Both of the Larxene’s were distracted by Kairi’s odd choice to drop her weapon, and in that moment of hesitation, Kairi grabbed the arm of one Larxene, using the blonde’s momentum to swing her into her double.

With a cry of pain, the Larxenes crashed into each other, becoming one again.

Kairi took the moment to catch her breath summoning her keyblade back. She couldn’t keep doing this. Dodging, striking where she could, it wasn’t doing much in weakening Larxene. It just seemed to make her more intense.

_There!_ Just beside Larxene, Donald seemed to grin at her from the face of another card.

Kairi raced towards it, leaping over Larxene’s attack and nabbing the card. Quickly, she pulled out the Goofy card as well as an attack card and held them up.

Thankfully, it worked as both of her friends appeared by her side.

“Trinity Limit! Quick!”

Donald and Goofy lent her their strength as she slammed her blade into the ground, creating a large ornate mark on the floor. Light burst forth, covering every inch of the area.

“Argh!” Larxene cried out.

Kairi turned and found her opponent on the ground, covering her eyes. With one last burst of strength, the redhead leaped forward, striking her keyblade quickly and efficiently. Larxene couldn’t even dodge the attack.

The blonde woman, still blinded from the Trinity attack, screamed in anger. then, it appeared that she had begun to steam, darkness rising from her in waves. Larxene managed to open her eyes and realize her predicament.

“No... no!” the blonde cried out, “It can’t-- I won't be beaten by such a princess! I won’t-- I won’t allow---” The darkness grew thicker, cutting her words off.

Then, she was gone.

Kairi panted as the invisible barriers that divided the battlefield evaporated. Donald and Goofy stood on the other side, along with Riku and the girl, Namine.

“Is she--?” Goofy asked, a worried hand up to his mouth.

“Yeah, she’s gone,” Riku muttered. “Good riddance.”

“I guess.” Kairi never felt good about destroying people like that.

“Don’t feel that bad She was even less real than I am, apparently.” Riku placed a hand over his chest. “At least I have a heart. Though the memories...”

“I’m sorry,” Namine murmured, sinking to the floor, “I’m so sorry...”

“Hey,” Kairi dropped her keyblade, running over to Namine and giving her a hug. “It’s okay, Nam. It’ll be okay.”

“No!” Namine ripped herself away, “Kairi... you... you shouldn’t feel sorry for me. I’ve done awful things and...” She started crying, the tears darkening the white floor, “What Larxene said is true, I’m the reason your memories have been slipping away. Why you can’t even remember why you came here.”

Kairi remembered what Larxene had said. About Namine being a witch who was replacing Kairi’s memories one by one. “So... those memories of you... and Roxas and Sora and...”

“Not real.” Namine shook her head, “I-- Their-- the original plan was to replace Sora and Riku in your memories with Roxas and I. Two...people... that they had control over. Larxene and Marluxia are trying to overthrow the organization they work for. They said that if I went along with it-- to push you towards their side, they would help me be real. And I--” Tears rolled down her face. “I was so alone here, I just--” She hiccupped.

Despite what Namine must have done to her memories, Kairi couldn't just let the poor girl cry, so she again wrapped her arms around Namine, giving her a hug. This time, the blonde didn’t pull away. “But I still remember Sora and Riku.”

“Yeah. I think it’s because you’re a princess of heart or something. But I couldn’t remove them. Your heart fought me at every turn. So I just added myself and Roxas into memories that were already there and changed some of the backgrounds.”

“Then, who is Roxas?” Kairi furrowed her brow, “If he never existed then...”

“He... He’s Sora’s nobody.”

Kairi frowned, "What's a nobody?"

Namine shrugged. "Honestly, I'm not sure. But I think they're created when someone is turned into a heartless." 

“A Heartless?” Kairi was even more confused. “But Sora never--”

“The final battle,” Goofy said, raising his finger, “I remember now. Donald and I were so worried, cause we couldn’t reach you in time when Ansem raised his keyblade, but then Sora was there. But then he came back as a heartless.” Beside him, Donald nodded in agreement.

Right. As soon as Goofy said it, it was like a blanket over that memory was lifted and Kairi remembered the tiny shadow grabbing hold of her before squeezing its way through the doorway into Riku’s arms. The love and light that turned Sora back into his human form.

“I’m sorry!” Namine said again, and Kairi realized that her confusion and hurt over the return of the repressed memories must have shown, “I had to suppress some of them so you wouldn’t fight the manipulation so much. But now I can’t control it. There are other memories that aren’t there that should be, I’m sure.”

“Like our friends in the other worlds,” Kairi realized. The friends that she had met on her first journey. She knew in her heart that she had met them before... but the memories weren’t there. Or were inaccessible, she guessed, based on what Namine had said.

“So if we go back,” Donald wondered, “Would the memories go back to where they were?”

Namine shook her head, “No. I’m sorry, but--” She stood up, a new determination in her face, “I can fix everything if we go to the thirteenth floor.”

“Right....” Kairi nodded in agreement. Fixing things seemed to be the best option.

“You’ll have to face Marluxia though.”

Kairi nearly shrieked in shock. She had forgotten Riku was there.

“Marluxia?” Goofy sounded the name out slowly.

“The leader here,” Riku explained, crossing his arms. “I can feel him up there, waiting.”

Kairi looked up at the ceiling above, “We can take him.”

Riku scoffed, “I’m sure...” he rolled his eyes but his smile was fond, and for a moment Kairi forgot what Larxene had said about this not being the real Riku.

He was so similar.

“Is it true what she said?” Kairi asked, “About... you being made--”

“Made of Sora’s memories of Riku?” the boy nodded, “Yeah. I didn’t remember it till-- well-- till Namine yelled...”

Namine looked at the floor again and Riku regarded her for a moment before continuing.

“Larxene was also right about the other thing she said,” Riku continued. “If you destroy my heart, all of Sora’s memories of Riku would be destroyed. You really could--”

“Not happening,” Kairi crossed her own arms, “Besides, you have Sora’s memories of Riku. Do you really think that would work?”

Riku closed his eyes, evidently accessing the fragments he did have. After a moment, he let out a smirk. “It’s deeper than they think.”

Kairi grinned, “I know, right? Even if Sora lost all of his memories, I don’t think he'll ever really forget Riku. Their bond is so strong...”

“So, then...” Namine trailed off, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

Kairi mirrored the gesture unthinkingly, only realizing what she had done once her hand was behind her ear. “Then what?”

“You really wouldn’t do what Larxene said?” Namine finally regained the courage to look directly at Kairi, “You would put Sora’s happiness above your own?”

“Of course,” Kairi answered without hesitation. “Look, I guess I get where they got that idea from. And if I were a lesser person, I might have believed it. Sora and I probably would have been happy but...” She grinned up at Namine, and then turned to Riku, “You know how Sora looks at you, right? And how you look at him? Why should I settle for anything less than that?”

“The real me is rather obvious about it., Riku said dryly, “Sora’s a bit of an airhead to not have realized it before.”

Kairi giggled, “You have no idea.”

“No. I don’t,” Riku murmured softly.

Kairi sighed, the good mood effectively broken. She looked at the two people in front of her, both so precious to her, even if the memories that bonded them were false.

She glared at the stairs that led to the 13th floor.

She would fix this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment, even if you disliked it! Just so everyone knows though, I will not be reading comments until I've beaten KH3, just in case. But as soon as I do, I will be responding to each and every comment, as always.


	26. Riku: rejection & acceptance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you know, I updated this about eight ish hours ago, so if you haven't read Chapter 25, I suggest reading that first and then come back to this one! :D
> 
> I kinda like what I did in this chapter. I wasn't so sure when I was writing it, but I think it turned out alright and I hope you all like it too.

Something was different.

Riku frowned, trying to place a finger on it. It was like the air in the castle had cleared a little. It was a bit easier to breathe in a way. He glanced back down the stairs, wondering if it had something to do with ascending the floors of the castle... or something else.

“One of the leaders of this castle, Larxene, has been vanquished.”

Riku gasped, turning to glare at yet another figure in a dark cloak that stood in front of the doors that led to another world. Though his hair was a dark grey, the figure was clearly much younger than the last. Several strands of hair covered one eye, leaving Riku feeling as if he was under a microscope with the way the other eye studied him. 

Riku let out a huff, not really in the mood to play games. "What do you mean?"

“She was slain by the keyblade wielder.”

“Keyblade--Kairi?! Kairi is _here?”_ Riku ran towards the man, “Where is she?!”

“In the castle, obviously...” The man rolled his eyes, then tossed yet another card to Riku.

He caught it easily. Turning it over, Riku blinked in shock at the familiar sight. “My home...”

“Hmm...yes...” The man pointed at the card, “So far you’ve only met dark figures from your past in the worlds. I wonder who you will meet back at home? The place that you were so desperate to run away from that you destroyed it?”

Riku gritted his teeth, his fingers clenching around the card. “I did want to leave. And I did open the door. But I--” He cut himself off and looked back at the card. “I never meant for any of this to happen.”

“Didn’t you?”

Riku glared up at him.

They stared at each other for a moment longer before the robed man glanced away. “Whether you meant it or not, it happened. I only offer you a chance now to see the truth.” With that, the man disappeared through a portal.

Teal eyes glared at where the man had been standing, hating the riddles and the feeling that he was being led around. But still... he looked back at the card. “Would be nice to see home again.” Riku walked up to the door, raising the card and letting it glow for a moment before walking inside. He was temporarily blinded by the bright light that emerged.

Riku tried to blink away the spots in his eyes as the light faded. Then the sound of ocean waves hitting the shore reached his ears. He gasped when he opened his eyes.

He really _was_ home.

The beach and the waves were just as he remembered it. He had entered the world at his favorite spot, the papou island. Grinning, he leaped up onto the branch, taking a moment to close his eyes and appreciate the breeze and the sound of the waves. The only thing that would make this moment better was if he had Kairi and Sora next to him, the redhead giggling at something silly Sora had said.

“I spent so long trying to leave this place and now I just want to go home,” Riku huffed to himself, placing a hand over his heart. “I guess there’s really no pleasing me.”

He half expected Ansem to retort some horrible cliche about darkness, but for once, the voice was quiet.

Distantly, Riku became aware of the shouts and cries of playing nearby. He opened his eyes, turning and saw Selphie, Wakka, and Tidus on the beach near where they docked their boats. He grinned. Finally, he got to meet people who weren’t just dark figures in the world. He leaped off the branch and ran halfway down the bridge, jumping off into the sand below. “Selphie! Wakka! Tidus!” He huffed, feeling a little out of breath with dizziness. “What’s up?” He was so excited just to talk to someone from home. Anyone.

The three didn’t even stop playing to look at him, just continued talking amongst themselves.

Riku’s grin wavered. “Guys? C’mon! Is there something wrong? I--” He was cut off when, one by one, the three of them faded away.

_Do you really think they’d want to talk to you now? You did destroy their home._

Ahh. Ansem’s voice was back.

“I--” Riku sighed unable to deny it, though he desperately wanted to. Despondent, he turned back to the paopu island, surprised to see another figure occupying the tree, one that Riku would recognize anywhere.

“Sora!” Despite the strange circumstances he had found himself in, Riku’s smile was so big it nearly hurt his face. “Sora!” He raced back to the island, not bothering to take the stairs. It was easy for him to jump and grab the edge of the bridge, using his upper body strength to climb back on it. Soon he was racing across the bridge to his friend. 

Despite the obvious noise Riku was making, Sora didn’t turn around as he approached. Riku's smile dimmed. “Sora... What’s wrong...?” He reached out to grab the boy’s shoulder.

The touch dragged the boy out of his silence, though not in the way Riku would have hoped for. Sora jerked out of his hold and turned, hopping off the tree and his eyes full of a fury that the silver-haired boy had never seen directed at him.

“This was our home, Riku!”

Riku stepped back at the words and the harsh angry tone they were said in. “Sora, I--”

“This was our home and you destroyed it!” Sora reached out only to push Riku further away. “Was the darkness worth it?”

“No!” Riku was quick to say, “Of course not. Sora I never meant to--”

“Yes, you did. You said so when I tried to reach out to you. That we would never see our parents again but we’d be free.” Sora shook his head. “What’s the point of going on an adventure if you don’t have a home to return to?”

“I--” Riku cut himself off, nearly saying that his home was always wherever Sora happened to be. Given the brunets fury over the destruction of the islands, he didn’t think it would help much. “I--I was stupid-- and I didn’t think,” He admitted instead. “But Sora... Kairi restored the worlds, remember? Aqua and Mickey said so, so the Destiny Islands came back. We can all go home.” He reached out again to try and wrap the brunet in a hug, something that always pulled Sora out of whatever bad mood he was in, but the boy dodged him.

“I don’t want you to!” Sora gritted his teeth, backing up till he was near the edge of the island. “You’ll just destroy it again. Just... go back to the dark realm if you want. You belong there.”

Riku’s heart broke at the words. “Sora?”

“I hate you,” Sora spat. “I wish that we never became friends.”

“I--” Riku tried to figure out what to say, but he never thought he’d need words for _this_. “Sora, I-- I love you.”

“Ugh... That’s gross Riku.” Sora shivered in disgust. “Now I really don’t want you anywhere near me. Just stay away from me and Kairi.”

Riku tried to fight the tears that threatened to spill over. He always knew that Sora would never love him back. Not like he loved the brunet. But he also never expected Sora to reject him this harshly.

He should have realized it though. Between Riku’s choice to destroy their world for an adventure, and failing completely to bring Sora out of sleep, even managing to drag him around the dark realm instead of forcing him back into the light to be with Kairi. All of Riku’s choices-- why would anyone want to be with him after that?

“Ack! Riku! Stop it!”

Riku gasped at Sora’s panicked shout, finding the brunet engulfed knee deep in the darkness.

A darkness that was spilling out of Riku’s own shadow.

“Sora!” Riku ran towards him trying to grab a hand or something to pull him out of it. “Sora! Hang on!”

It was just like that night on the island, only this time, it was Riku who was desperately reaching out for Sora. But the result was the same, Sora was engulfed by the darkness and he disappeared.

“Sora!” Riku collapsed over the spot where Sora had last stood. His own darkness. He would always just drag Sora down and--

“Riku.”

With a start, Riku suddenly realized that the wind had picked up, his hair whipping in and out of his face. The sky had darkened to pitch black, and when he looked up, he saw the same black hole that had ripped the islands apart after he had opened the door. He glanced up to look at where the familiar voice had come from. “Kairi?”

She stood at the edge of the island, keyblade in hand, and a sad, tired look on her face. “You did it again. You just can’t help yourself can you?”

“What?”

“The darkness. It’ll just keep following you around and dragging down everyone around you. Your friends, your home. Sora. Nothing is ever going to be safe from you will it?”

“Kairi!” Riku tried to explain. “I didn’t-- it wasn’t--” But it was him, wasn’t it?

There was a sudden glow from behind Kairi. No. It came _from_ her. She radiated with a light that soon burned Riku’s eyes, feeling like it was scorching his skin. He cried out and flinched, trying to shield himself from it.

“How can the light hurt you, Riku?” Kairi asked, stepping closer. “So there really is no helping you is it. You’re just a creature of the dark now. Just as bad as the heartless.”

“Kairi--” Riku gasped, all of his energy drained. “Kairi, no...” There was something wrong here, but he couldn’t figure it out. Everything was just... Overwhelming. The darkness and Kairi’s light were filling up all of his senses. “Kairi--please--”

“I’m sorry, Riku, but I can’t let you destroy another home.” The tip of her keyblade glowed as well now, firing a ball of pure light energy right at Riku.

The boy flinched and tried to block the light, but it engulfed him and he felt himself falling...falling... fading...

_So... is this it?_

“Aww. C’mon Riku. I thought you were stronger than that!”

“Sora?!” Riku felt his heart beat faster. He couldn’t fade now! Not without telling Sora-- “Sora, I’m sorry! I’m so sorry.”

“I know.”

Riku got just a feeling that Sora was standing in front of him, blue eyes shimmering with amusement.

“I’m sure he forgives you,” Sora said, and Riku was confused for a moment before the brunet kept talking. “So... you really gonna let them win?”

“Them?”

“You’re smarter than that Riku. You _know t_ hat wasn’t really Sora and Kairi. Just look with your heart instead of your eyes.” Sora looked away for a moment. “Your connection to the darkness might help you see through the light.” He then offered up another grin. “You don’t have to be afraid of it. It can help you.”

“How?” Riku wondered. “All the darkness has ever done is--”

“Only when someone else was in control, or you didn’t accept it.” Sora’s face turned more serious than Riku ever thought it could be. “It’s not black and white. The light can keep the darkness from overwhelming you, but the darkness can help you see through overbearing light. You don’t have to run from it. You have to face it head on, and accept it.”

“I can do that?”

“Of course. You have a strength that’s all your own. With it, you can’t be beaten by darkness, nor can the light overwhelm you.” Sora grinned, “Following the darkness will lead you back to your friends. It got you this far, right?”

“Heh... When did you get to be so smart?”

“Hey!”

Riku chuckled, then sobered up at the thought. “But if I accept the darkness, can I face everyone again?”

“You don’t want to?”

“You know I do.”

Sora’s smile was all the answer Riku needed. He tried to offer one in return, but as he did so, the image of Sora flickered a bit. For a moment, Riku was staring at a boy a little older, with blonde hair, but still with Sora’s blue eyes. “Huh?”

The boy flickered back to Sora, who grinned and said, “Don’t worry about it right now. You’re strong enough to save him, though. You always were.” With those last words, he faded away.

Riku hesitated for a moment but then nodded. “Yeah.” Then, he did something he hadn’t done before and willingly called on the powers of darkness, with no reluctance or hesitation in his heart.

The darkness suit shrouded over him and with the heightened senses, he finally figured out what _Sora_ had meant. The aura emanating from Kairi was all wrong, and definitely not his best friend at all. He summoned his blade and quickly took a swing.

The light shattered, and the fake Kairi collapsed to the ground.

“What--” the voice that came from the girl was completely wrong as well and soon the illusion faded away, leaving behind the same robed man that had greeted Riku at the door. “How-- you were terrified of the darkness. How did you--??”

“I don’t have to run from it, just accept it.” Riku raised his blade, “And now I can use it to kick your ass for daring to trick me with Kairi and Sora.” He swung again.

The man was clearly unused to fighting, as his attacks were complete copies of Riku’s own. Once Riku got over the disorientation of fighting of his own attacks, he quickly figured out a strategy to defeat the man. He could predict every move after all.

The man went hit the sand hard and Riku gripped his keyblade tighter. He wasn’t going to let the darkness take over, let Ansem take over, and destroy this man. Besides. He wanted answers. “Why? Why try and trick me?”

The man gasped out a sort of strangled laugh. “How do you know they were all tricks? For all you know, Sora might have been re--” He cut himself off, when Riku held his blade out threateningly.

“You may have gotten the voice and the image right. But you got his attitude all wrong. I may not have noticed at the time, but even when rejecting something, Sora is always kind.”

“Hmph.” The man stood up on shaky legs, “Emotions. How unreliable to trust them.”

Riku tightened his grip on the blade, thinking about taking another swing. “Well? You didn’t give me an answer...”

“And I don’t intend to...” The man raised a hand and summoned a portal, quickly disappearing through it.

Riku chased after him, but the portal completely disappeared before he could sneak through it. “Dammit!” He quickly turned and ran towards a door, any door. He had to get out of here.

Luckily, the next door opened right into a familiar hallway and he raced through it. “Get back here! Show yourself!”

_So, you finally accepted it._

Riku gasped. “Ansem!”

_Good._

Riku gasped as all of his muscles when taught and he was caught up in some kind of binding curse. “Can’t-- move--” It was just like when Ansem had temporarily taken control a few floors back. Riku could try to struggle, but his limbs just weren’t responding.

_Now that you’ve accepted the darkness, let it fester in your heart. The deeper your heart goes into the darkness, the easier it will be to control you._

“No!” Riku shouted. “That strength is mine!” He closed his eyes, trying to remember what it felt like to accept that the darkness was a part of him. It hadn’t been as scary when he had done it. It was a part of him.

Suddenly, there were twin glowing balls of light that came towards him and entered his heart. Riku gasped as Ansem seemed to struggle against something.

_Why must you always meddle?_

“Farewell!”

Riku gasped as feeling suddenly returned to his hands and feet and he dropped to the ground in shock. That last voice! “Aqua?”

“Looks like we got here just in time! That ought to keep him occupied for a while.”

Riku let out another gasp and turned around, eyes widening in shock.

At the top of the stairs stood Aqua and Mickey, looking no worse for wear than when he had last seen them. “Aqua! You’re majesty!” He could only stand in shock as they walked towards him, his own heart not sure if what he was seeing was real. Finally, he reached out with one hand.

Aqua understood what he was asking for and quickly took the offered hand, then pulled him into a hug. “It’s real. We’re here.” She pulled back just a bit. “We made a promise, right?”

“Heh... right.” Riku felt so relieved, that when Aqua pulled away completely, he collapsed, much to his friends’ worry. “Sorry. I’m alright. Just so...” He trailed off with a shrug.

Aqua gave a small huff, a smile gracing her face. “I get it.”

Riku offered his own grin, “How’d you guys get here?”

“Gosh.” Mickey rubbed the back of his head. “We’re not quite sure ourselves. We were following the shoreline to see if there’d be another portal opening up when this appeared.” He held out a card, similar to the ones he had been using to traverse the worlds. “When we took hold of it, we were transported here.”

Aqua was looking around, half in shock. “Its the transformed Land of Departure.” She then stopped suddenly and laid a hand on the wall. “Ven...”

Riku observed her quietly, but it seemed like she needed a moment. These were her first few steps in the realm of light after being trapped for so long. Riku would give her hours if she required it. Instead, he looked at the card.

At first, he didn’t recognize the world at all. Then, outlines began to ring familiar. A tower there, or the fragment of a pathway here. “Hollow Bastion?”

“Huh?” Mickey looked at the card as well, “Oh! It’s Radiant Garden!”

“What?”

“That’s what the world used to be called,” Mickey explained, “Before Maleficent took it over.”

“Oh.” Riku wondered why that was the card that appeared to Aqua and Mickey. Did it have something to do with Kairi? She came from Hollow Bastion...well, Radiant Garden, he supposed.

The remembered the robed man’s words from earlier. Kairi was in this castle too.

He’d find her, then they’d go help Sora.

He held the card up, “C’mon... these cards have been the only way to move forward.”

Aqua and Mickey both nodded, trailing behind him as they started for the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I welcome and love and enjoy and cherish comments, but I won't be reading any until I've finished KH3. And then I will read them all with great pleasure and respond to each and every one!
> 
> Also as a second note, yes I am banging these last few chapters out kinda fast with only a quick read through and so they may be tweaked and edited after all is said and done. Let me know of any major grammatical mistakes so I don't miss those in the editing!


	27. Kairi: to lose is to find

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone enjoys themselves playing game today! Remember to stay hydrated and pace yourselves! :D
> 
> Here it is, the last Kairi chapter. Riku's will be released later this evening, when I'm taking a break from my own game play. :D

Kairi ran up the last flight of stairs, slowing down only when she heard voices ahead. She quickly signaled for Goofy and Donald to slow down as well.

“You really think that’s gonna slow me down?”

That was Axel’s voice

“Mmm... not quite.”

Kairi gasped in shock. That was the voice of the first robed figure. She stepped just a bit further into the hall. Was this the Marluxia, Namine, and Riku had spoken of?

The man had lowered his hood, revealing a head of shocking pink hair that reminded her of a sunrise, and clear blue eyes. But what shocked her more was the boy he was using as a human shield.

“Sora!” she called out.

Axel flinched in shock, his grip on his weapons failing for a second before tightening again. Evidently, he had been getting ready to attack before Marluxia had pulled Sora out in front of him.

Kairi waited for her friend to struggle or do something. But he just stood there. When she looked closer, she realized that it was because he was practically asleep.

When did he fall asleep _again?!_

“Axel was going to take out your dearest love to get to me Kairi. What do you think about that?” Marluxia grinned, then disappeared through a dark portal, dragging Sora along with him.

Kairi gritted her teeth and then summoned her keyblade. She hated that she was being dragged along like this. She didn’t want to fight Axel. Not really. She just wanted to slap Marluxia upside the head.

Axel turned to face off with her, still whirling his weapons in his hands.

Kairi took a deep breath. “Look, do we have to fight? Can’t we just not?”

Axel blinked, then stood up straight and held his weapons a little more loosely in his hands. “Oh. Think you’ll lose?”

“Of course not, but I’m also in a bit of a hurry. If you were really gonna hurt Sora, I would have thought you could have done it at any moment before now.” She shrugged, “I mean... I can kick your butt if you want me to.”

“Nah,” Axel huffed out a short chuckle. “But man, do you keep on surprising me.” He pointed behind him. “Marluxia’s just up those steps. I got some-- er-- errands to do. If anyone asks, you totally trounced me.”

“Oh?” Kairi could almost grin. In another life, she and Axel may have been friends. “You don’t mind getting beat up by a girl?”

“Not as long as it’s you, Princess.” With one last smirk, he disappeared through another dark portal.

Kairi still wasn’t completely sure how she felt about Axel but figured that he wasn’t a total bad guy. Just someone with his own agenda.

Then she looked back up the stairs. “You guys ready for this?”

“Yeah!” Donald shouted, Goofy right behind him.

Together, they ran up the stairs. Kairi was unsurprised to find Marluxia waiting for them, still using Sora as a shield.

“Hmph... that was fast. He must have been more bark than bite.”

“And yet, you were still afraid to face him yourself,” Kairi muttered. Then pointed her keyblade at the man, “You’re next.”

“I think not.” Marluxia shook Sora’s shoulder slightly, the boy barely showing signs of wakefulness. “Your friend here is still asleep. Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider our offer? Namine has given him such lovely memories of you. I’m sure this time, your kiss will work.”

Kairi huffed, rolling her eyes. Honestly, is that all these people think that she wants? To kiss Sora and have some kind of happily ever after? She was more than that. More than just some princess in a fairy tale, even one where the girl rescues a prince. She was a keyblade wielder, an islander, and a girl who has two very, very best friends who are so frustratingly in love with each other, it was hurting her more to see them apart. She just wanted to go home with her friends and stare out at the sunset over the ocean waves.

But it appeared that they would never understand that. “You got it all wrong. I’m not sure where you got the idea that it’s just memories that create emotion like that. It’s-- it’s all kinds of things. It’s a connection too. Between people.”

“Hmph. What a childishly simple thing to say.”

_Well, it is that simple..._ Kairi thought but refrained from saying it out loud. Marluxia was stuck in what he wanted to believe, and she was tired of trying to change his mind. Instead, she raised her keyblade again. “Let Sora go.”

“Hmm, or...” He snapped his fingers, and with a rush of flower petals--cherry blossoms?-- Namine was suddenly also in front of Marluxia. Her hands were raised in front of her mouth and she trembled, clearly terrified.

“Namine!” Kairi shouted. Even though she knew that this girl wasn’t her sister, that she had grown up an only child, the feeling and the connection was still there. She still wanted to protect the blonde.

“Namine, use your power to completely suppress Kairi’s memory. I need an obedient keyblade wielder, not a defiant one.”

“What?” Namine’s eyes widened. “I won't!” She struggled out of Marluxia’s grasp and stood in front of Namine, arms spread. “I won’t do it!”

“Fine. Then I guess I’m left with no choice.” He pulled Sora closer. “This boy can wield the keyblade as well, and his heart is perfect for rewriting. I would have preferred a wielder with a bit more experience, but I’m sure we can manage. Right, Namine?”

“Rewrite Sora’s--’ Namine gasped, clearly understanding something that Kairi couldn’t quite grasp. “But if-- if I do that then--”

“Then Sora will never remember his friends,” Marluxia nodded, “His heart will be destroyed.”

“No!” Kairi shouted, running closer so she could pull Namine behind her. “You can’t!”

“I can if you’re not around.” Marluxia summoned his own weapon, a deadly looking scythe, covered in rose thorns.

“Wanna bet?!”

Kairi gasped as Riku suddenly materialized out of a dark portal, his blade aimed straight at Marluxia’s head. The pinked haired man dodged, but in doing so, he let go of Sora, which was evidently Riku’s plan. The silver-haired boy easily caught the brunet as he fell, cradling him close to his chest and sprinting back towards Kairi. He gently laid him down near Namine, then turned to raise his own blade.

“Hmph,” Marluxia scoffed, then swung out with his blade. Kairi was quick to meet him, wanting to keep the flighting away from Namine and Sora. She blocked the incoming blow, her blade clanging harshly with the scythe.

“Kairi!” Riku shouted, and he swung at Marluxia as well, his blade missing by inches as the taller man backed off at the last moment.

The pinked haired man smirked, which Kairi was really getting tired of, and then disappeared through a dark portal, which the redhead was also getting tired of. Can’t these people just stay in one place so she can whack them?

She glanced over to the wall, noticing the ornate doors, much larger than any in the castle so far. “He’s in there, right?”

“Yeah,” Riku nodded, “Can you feel him?”

“Yeah, it’s like his power is trying to overshadow my heart and destroy it.” She flinched and curled in on her chest, not liking the feeling. It’s funny. When she had been so focused on saving Namine and Roxas, she had almost forgotten about her own power as a princess of heart. “It’s not succeeding.”

“Of course not,” Namine said. “You’re a princess. It’d take a lot more than that.”

“Right. Then I suppose I’ll have to take the fight to him.” With that she summoned her keyblade and pointed it at the door, unlocking it. Then she turned back to Riku, “Hey Riku?”

“I’m not Riku,” the boy sighed, looking away, “Just a fake.”

“You’re still Riku,” Kairi insisted, “You may not be the same Riku I know, but you’re still him. I know it.” She grinned, “But, whoever you are then, can you watch over Namine and Sora?”

Riku looked shocked at the request, “You don't mind?”

Kairi tilted her head, confused .”Should I? You’ve done a great job so far!”

Riku seemed to hesitate for a moment but then let out a chuckle. “Okay. Deal.”

Kairi grinned back and started to walk forward but then she thought of something else. “Wait. If-- if something happens to me and Donald and Goofy, can you get a message to Riku? My Riku? I’m not sure where he is, but the last I saw him was with Sora, so he might have escaped the realm of darkness. Let him know that if we all get through this, I expect that he and Sora actually sit down and talk about their feelings. Cause if they don’t,” she swung her keyblade over her shoulder, “If they don’t, I’m gonna have to whack some sense into them.”

This time, the laugh that escaped Riku was definitely the same laugh Kairi had grown up hearing her whole life. “You got it. Promise.”

“Great!” She held out her pinky, much to the Replica’s confusion. She shook her head with a grin, and grabbed his hand, manipulating his fingers just as her Riku had done to her so many years ago now, till his pinky was extended. She hooked their fingers together. “There. Now I know you’ll have to keep it! He’s pretty stubborn though, so I hope you’re up to it!”

He looked a bit bemused, but then a soft grin overcame his features, one that Kairi had never seen on her friend, but she suspected that Sora had. “Okay.”

She nodded one last time, then she, Donald, and Goofy entered through the doorway.

Marluxia was waiting for them.

He left no room for her to even plan, attacking immediately with that long scythe. She let out a choked gasp as it nicked her leg when she dodged out of the way. It was sharper than she expected. As if it leached out more of her energy than she was expecting. She tried to summon Donald and Goofy whenever she could, even summoning some of the friends she made along the way, including Simba and Cloud. She needed every friend, ever spell, and every attack she had in order to even make the man flinch.

The fight went on for longer than Kairi hoped it would, and she had to use every skill she could think of. With Donald ready for a cure and an ether, she even managed to pull off another spinning magic attack, which did push Marluxia into a sort of desperate phase. He summoned some kind of ship or something that swiped at her till she was able to destroy its scythe hands.

Then Marluxia did some sort of spell that shattered her cards.

“What the heck?!” Kairi screamed out, watching as her cards bounced around her. Quickly she gathered them, not caring what order they returned to her hand in. She needed them to fight, to do anything. Quickly, she stacked three cards and swung her keyblade at the pink haired man, hoping to just distract him long enough to run and grab the magic cards that were bouncing away.

She’d have to risk another spinning magic attack. It might be the only thing able to stop this in time.

“You could have had everything you wanted!” Marluxia shouted, his scythe attacking. Kairi gritted her teeth and dodged, waiting for the perfect opening. “Your love, your power, everything would have been yours if you just worked for us!”

Kairi huffed, “You just don’t get it! All I want is to go home with my friends!” She made her play.

It felt different this time. It was as if all her friends were with her. The magic she gathered up was stronger this time. When she released it, it was enough.

Marluxia let out a yell as he was knocked back, his ship thing disintegrating first, then dark waves of smoke began to emit from the man as well. He seemed to waver, flickering in and out of existence before he faded away entirely, still reaching out for Kairi as if he could still change her mind.

Kairi glared at him, still angry over all the hurt he had caused, but then she turned and ran out of the room. Donald and Goofy were at her side as soon as she exited, closing the heavy ornate doors. As soon as she heard the shut, she swung her keyblade around, locking them for good.

“So, it’s done then?”

Kairi turned back, finding Namine waiting for her. “Yeah. It’s done...” She wavered, feeling the edges of her vision darken. Maybe she shouldn’t have used that last spell.

She heard Namine give a little cry of dismay as Kairi collapsed, though Goofy was waiting to catch her. “Namine, what’s--”

“I’m sorry... But between my powers and the castle... your memories are drifting in and out of your heart. I wasn’t sure if you’d be able to withstand it, but it looks like it's catching up to you.”

“But you can fix it, right?” Donald asked.

“Yes. You’ll all need to sleep, but I can fix everything follow me.” She turned and led them down a corridor Kairi hadn’t seen earlier.

Goofy helped Kairi shuffle along, and she managed to blink her eyes open. “Where’s--”

“Riku had to-- he said he had to go do something.” Namine let out a grin. “He helped me move Sora first though.”

“Move Sora--” Kairi blinked against the sudden bright light of the doorway Namine had just opened.

When she managed to adjust to the sight, she was surprised to find herself in another white room with three tall white chairs. Two of the chairs were already occupied, the one to the furthest left by Sora. The other--

“Roxas?” Kairi questioned. It certainly looked like the boy in her memories.

“Not exactly,” Namine said, letting out a deep sigh. “It’s a bit too complicated to explain right now, but this boy and Sora are deeply connected in a way. It’s one of the reasons Sora is asleep right now. He’ll need to stay asleep so I can fix his memories as well, but trust me, he’ll be good as new when he wakes up.” She frowned at the other boy. “I’m not sure how to wake this one though.”

“Oh.” Kairi frowned. “So, do I need to sleep as well?”

“Yes,” Namine nodded and pointed towards the remaining empty chair. “The magic in this room will keep you stabilized. I have pods for Donald and Goofy. I’ll take care of you, I promise.”

“Kairi.” Goofy helped her stand so she, him and Donald could talk. “What do you think?”

“Well, I want my memories back where they belong. I think I’ll need them.”

“Yes, you might,” Namine agreed. “Marluxia and Larxene... they were just part of a larger organization. I’m hoping that without those few members, the rest might fade away but...” She shrugged and Kairi got the feeling that the problem extended far beyond this castle.

“But what will happen to the memories I made here?” Kairi wondered, “And the ones I remembered. With you and Roxas.”

“I’ll have to take them out,” Namine looked down, “You can’t-- no one should have two pairs of conflicting memories in their head. It’ll just continue to confuse you. And in order to make sure they never make a reappearance, I’ll have to take out the memories of this castle as well.”

Kairi’s eyes widened, “So I won’t remember you?”

Namine lowered her head, shaking it sadly. “No. It’s for the best really.”

“But--” Kairi struggled to walk over, still feeling her energy leaking out the longer she stayed awake. “I--” She took a deep breath, “Look, it’s like what I told Marluxia earlier. The connection between two people, it’s more than just memories. The connection between us will still exist. We may not be actual sisters, but you and I will always be friends, right?” She held out her pinky.

Namine blinked then let out a smile, connecting her own pinky with Kairi’s. “Right.”

“I’ll even make a note of it in my new journal!” A voice in Kairi’s ear chimed in, and the redhead nearly let out another shriek. She had forgotten about Jiminy. _Again._ “A big note: Thank Namine!”

Namine let out a small laugh and nodded, “Alright.”

Goofy helped her to the empty chair and she climbed up, glancing over at the other two sleeping boys. They both had grins on their faces as if they were dreaming pleasant things.

“I look forward... to meeting you again,” Namine said as Kairi got settled, the redhead letting out a big yawn.

“Yeah...” Kairi murmured, “And when I do wake up, I’m gonna find Riku. My Riku... gotta...” She yawned again, “Gotta make sure he tells Sora...”

She drifted off completely, her last thought was the wish that when she awoke, she, Sora, and Riku could watch the sunset from the paopu island again. Maybe Namine could be with them, and Roxas if he does exist. And all of Kairi’s other friends.

A grin rested on her face as Namine got Donald and Goofy settled in their own pods.

A promise to meet again.

She looked forward to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Truthfully? I didn't include an Axel and Kairi fight mostly because I don't like writing fights and I already had written quite a few at this point. Plus, I never really understood the fight between Axel and Sora. Axel wanted to eliminate Marluxia, Sora was going to do the job, and Axel could have said at any time "hey man, I aint gonna hurt your girl, so if you just let me squeeze past you, I'll let you do your thing, I'll do my thing, and we'll both be happy. except maybe Zexion, cause I'm so gonna kill him.... cya!" 
> 
> Again, I love and encourage and cherish comments of all kinds, but I won't be reading any until after I've finished the game. And then I will response to every one. 
> 
> Also, in case I forget to mention it in the next chapter: I dunno if anyone counted or cared, but Kairi and Riku each have 13 chapters in this fic (with two Namine Interludes) I thought it would be fitting for the 13 floors/basements of Castle Oblivion. :D


	28. Riku: reverse/rebirth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where'd the day go? XD Hope everyone who is able to play the game is having fun, and have a great time! Here's the last chapter!

Riku frowned as he entered the world, not quite understanding how a world as beautiful as this could be torn apart and turned into Hollow Bastion.

“Are you sure this is it Your Majes--” Riku cut off.

Mickey and Aqua were no longer there.

“What the-- Aqua?! Your Majesty!”

“You must fight me all alone.”

Riku gasped and turned back around, finding Ansem in front of him, no longer contained within his heart. Gritting his teeth, he summoned his blade.

_Wait a moment..._

Something was off. While there was darkness on the man in front of him, it was... different. Not the same darkness that radiated from the recesses of his own heart. “You’re not Xehanort’s heartless.”

The fake Ansem’s eyes widened for a moment before he transformed, turning into a different man, his face covered in strange wrappings. “How did you know?”

“Your darkness. It’s not the same. Not as deep.” Riku pressed a hand to his chest. “I’ll know the real one when he’s in front of me.”

“Hmm.” The man nodded, “I am DiZ. Please forgive the attempt at trickery. I wanted to see how you would react.”

“Well, now you know. What do you want from me?”

“For you to make a choice.” Diz pointed to the road ahead. “There’s a girl you must find in the library of the castle. Her name is Namine. Find her, listen to what she has to say, then you must make your choice.”

“And what if I don’t?” Riku asked, half because he was actually curious and half out of the instinct arrogance that comes with being a teenager.

To his surprise, DiZ only laughed, “I suppose that not making a choice at all is an option, however, I sense that option only leads to ruin.” With that, he disappeared.

“Great more riddles,” Riku groaned, then smacked his own forehead, “I should have asked him where Aqua and Mickey were!”

It was too late to do that now though, so instead, he turned to walk towards the castle, finding it very different to the one he lived in briefly after...

Well... _after_...

As he was walking up the front steps though, he found himself greeted by someone else. And for a second, he thought that the entity from the mirror had followed him.

The person by the front gates was exactly like him in every respect, except the other boy was wearing that darkness suit that Riku detested. It was sort of like looking in that mirror from the dark realm, but not. There was no scowl or grimace on this other Riku's face. Just a stare down that left Riku feeling like he was being sized up.

“Who are you supposed to be?” Riku asked, nearly summoning Soul Eater, but deciding to wait and see if this other Riku posed a threat.

The other one scoffed, “Clearly a better-looking version of you. What do _you_ think?”

Riku glared. “I don’t know, but I am tired of riddles. Are you just some monster made to try and confuse me or what?”

The other Riku shrugged, “Monster. Not the word I’d use. Try ‘Replica.’” He turned and summoned his blade, another mirror image, this time of Soul Eater. “I’m a fake, a phony. Just something that they created to use and throw away. I’m definitely not real, like you. But I could be. If I defeat you, there will only be one Riku left.”

“What?!” Riku summoned his blade. “I don’t know who you’re trying to fool. But there’s only one me.”

“Heh. I fooled one of your best friends for a while. I’m sure it wouldn’t be too hard to get Sora on board as well.”

Riku gritted his teeth. There was no way he was letting some imposter trick Sora for who knows what reason! “Try it and I’ll destroy you!”

“I’d like to see you try.” With that, the Replica attacked. Riku quickly brought his blade up to defend, retaliating with a single strike that sent the other across the entryway.

Riku had to dodge the dark firaga that was launched at him, rolling under it and barely feeling the heat as his back. He quickly dodged another attack, and swung his blade again, landing several strikes before the Replica retaliated.

As they fought around the field, Riku kept a lookout for those strange cards, wondering if they’d work the same now that Mickey and Aqua were physically in the castle. He spotted on, and quickly held it up, hoping for a heal of some kind.

“Huh? Riku?” It was only Aqua who came through this time. “Why are there two--”

“No time to explain,” Riku shouted, hurrying close, “I’m the real one, he’s not!” He pointed at the Replica who was sprinting in, ready to attack.

“Right!” Aqua shouted, firing off a few blizzard spells that managed to stun the other boy before she faded away.

Riku landed a few more blows, each time feeling the dark power in him growing. That was fine, it was his power and he could own up to it and use it. After a final blow, it was strong enough and Riku shifted, also changing into the darkness suit.

“So,” the Replica muttered as they locked blades. “You’ve accepted it then?”

“My darkness is my strength,” Riku argued, “I’m not gonna run from it anymore.”

“Then how are you gonna face them?!” the Replica asked as he rolled to the side, unlocking his blade and taking a swipe at Riku’s legs.

Riku went down hard, and just barely managed to dodge the next attack. “The same way I always do.” He quickly gathered his strength going in for one last blow, “Take that!”

The strike landed hard on the other bow, sending him flying across the field and into a wall, where he slumped over.

Riku walked over cautiously, picking up a Mickey card on the way, in case he needed back up. “You want some more?”

The Replica took a deep, if shuddering breath, before breaking out into a weak chuckle. “Nah. I got the answer I needed. I thought... well... I thought that maybe if you weren’t strong enough, I’d have to take over. But it really has to be you.” He glanced up, then tried to get off the floor, stumbling a little.

Riku frowned, feeling the darkness subside and his form return to normal. He watched as the other boy’s outfit shifted as well, into the same exact clothes Riku was wearing. “Did you have to copy _everything?”_

“Not exactly my choice.” The other boy laughed again, though this time it ended in a deep cough that caused the boy to flinch and groan.

Riku tilted his head, a bit confused. Weren’t they just fighting? But now the boy seemed so at ease, almost sadly resigned, that Riku couldn’t help but feel bad for him. He reached into his pocket, pulling out the only potion he had on him. “Here.”

The replica blinked in confusion, then hesitantly took the bottle, as if Riku would take it away at any moment. “Thank you?”

“I...” Riku trailed off, not sure how to explain himself. “I guess you can’t give me answers if you go dying on me.”

The Replica nearly spat out the potion in response to that, and he covered his mouth in an effort to refrain from doing so. Once he managed to choke it down, he laughed a little. “Yeah. I suppose that’s true. What would you like to know?”

“Who are you? And how do you know Kairi and Sora? And why did you want to fight me?”

“Well, do you want the short version or the long version?”

Riku crossed his arms, “I want whatever version that makes _sense_.”

“Ahh, Well...”

Riku listened as the replica told of what had been happening in the castle while he had been climbing stairs, his eyes growing wider and wider. “Kairi did what?! On her _own?!”_

“Well, she has Donald and Goofy with her,” The replica reassured him.

“Yeah, but if it’s anything like having Mickey and Aqua with me--” He held up the Mickey card, “It’s not exactly the same.”

“Hmm, true...” The Replica shrugged. “Anyway, I wanted to check something with you, and I figured the best way to do that was to fight you.”

“What did you want to check?”

“If you were still scared of the darkness.” The Replica shrugged. “I overheard Vexen talking about it. That’s why they couldn’t just use you for their plan. They needed someone who was willing to use it more willingly.” He held out his hand, summoning his Soul Eater just as easily as Riku had done. “Plus, you were in the dark realm, apparently, so not exactly accessible at the time.”

“Okay, but why did you need to check if I was scared of the darkness?”

“Because you can’t face Sora if you still are. He wouldn’t like it if you were trying to hide part of who you are.” The Replica turned to glare at him, and Riku found himself a little taken aback. At least now he knew that he was intimidating when he glared. “Sora loves you. All of you. Not just the light parts.”

“Huh?” Now Riku really did blush, feeling his face heat up a few degrees. “How-- did he-- No, he does--” He cut himself off when the Replica’s hand shot up to silence him.

“Look, I already told you. I have all of Sora’s memories of you. All of them. Including the one where he woke up from his sleep thing to find you hovering over him to protect him.” The other Riku rolled his eyes, “Honestly, he may not have realized it at the time, but that is definitely an act of true love if there was ever one.”

“I-- that--” That was what woke Sora up?! Riku sacrificing himself? “There’s no--”

“Of course,” the Replica shrugged. “What did you think it was?”

“I--uh-- a delayed reaction?”

“To what?”

“Kairi’s kiss?”

The replica blinked for a moment, then began to laugh, his shoulders shaking as he doubled over.

It took several moments before he was able to stand up straight again, wiping some tears of joy from under his eyes and nearly bursting into giggles again when he saw the look on Riku’s face, what the silver-haired boy could only imagine was a mixture of embarrassment and irritation. “Oh man. No wonder she wants to slap you. You really are dense.”

“Shut up,” Riku grumbled, looking away. “Whatever. Did you get your answer?”

“Yeah.” The replica turned. “Kairi wanted you to know though. That after all this is over, you and Sora have to talk about this.” He pointed to his heart, though Riku got the feeling that he meant the memories inside of it and all that came with them. “She’s not gonna like it if you try to ignore it again.”

“Got it,” Riku huffed.

The Replica turned back to grin shyly then pointed towards the doorway. “C’mon. I’ll take you to Namine. She can explain further.”

Riku hesitated, still not quite trusting his double, but in the end, he decided to follow. The Replica seemed sincere, and it wasn’t like Riku wasn’t already heading in this direction anyway.

As soon as the Replica opened the door to what should have been the castle library, Riku realized that they must have been transported to yet another part of the strange white corridor building. The entire room was a bright white color, with three occupied chairs in the center of it.

“Ven!”

Riku was shocked at Aqua’s shout and watched as she ran past him to the blonde clearly sleeping in the middle chair.

For just a moment, Riku thought the blonde looked a bit familiar, but that thought was completely wiped out when he realized who was sleeping in the other two chairs. “Sora! Kairi!” He ran to the brunet first, quickly checking to make sure that he was actually sleeping, then turned to glare at the Replica, finding the other silver-haired boy standing next to a pale blonde girl. “What did you do?!”

“Nothing!” The blonde hurried to reassure him, waving her hands. “He’s just sleeping. They both are. I promise.”

“The castle is keeping them stabilized,” Aqua explained, her hand still buried in Ven’s hair, smoothing it down only for it to spring right back up, much like Sora’s own spikes. “Though, Ven is asleep because his heart is. I’m not sure about Sora and Kairi.”

“It’s a bit of a long story and it _i_ _s_ my fault. I’m so sorry, Riku. But I’m the one who took Sora’s memories of you. It was an accident at first, but then I couldn’t control it, and they all slipped away.” The girl looked away, clearly ashamed.

“But they’re all safe,” The replica pointed at his chest. “They’re right here, and I’ll protect them.”

“At least until I can fix it.” The blonde finished, “Both of them. I can fix everything, I just need time.”

Riku sighed, turning back to Sora and running a gentle finger down the brunet’s face. He was so peaceful when he slept like nothing was wrong in the world. He even had a goofy grin on his face. Riku had to grin at the sight. Then he turned back to the girl, “You’re Namine, right?”

“Yes.”

“Someone told me I had to find you. And that I had to make a choice.”

“Oh, well...” Namine shrugged, clutching her wrist in one hand in front of her, a near opposite of what Kairi did when the redhead was nervous. “It was just an idea I had. I have power over memories in people’s hearts and I can suppress or rearrange them. If you want, I can lock the Ansem in your heart away forever. It’ll be a tight lock, one he’ll never get out of.”

“And you’ll do that by suppressing my memory?” Riku thought on it, “But that would mean--”

“You would have to forget everything after you left the islands,” Namine explained. “It would work, and you’d go back to who you were before but--”

“No thanks,” Riku said quickly. “I don’t need my heart locked. I can face Ansem my own way. Besides,” He huffed out a grin, turning to look at Sora, then at Kairi. “These two... always dozing off whenever the important work had to be done, whether it was a class project or working on the raft.”

“According to Sora’s memories,” The replica huffed, “You weren’t that much better.”

Riku’s grin widened, but he ignored the statement. “Anyway, the point is that someone has to be awake to make sure these two get back to work as soon as they wake up. Besides, someone told me that I had to have a talk with Sora and I can’t do that if I’ve forgotten, can I?”

Based on Namine’s smile and the Replica’s half grin, as well as Aqua and Mickey’s knowing looks, he figured he had said the right thing. He turned back to Sora, taking a small chance and kissing him on the forehead. “I’ll be back when you wake up. I promise.” He whispered the words so softly, he thought for sure none but himself would hear them. But, in sleep, Sora’s goofy grin widened, and Riku knew he heard the words. Then he backed away, “Okay, I’m ready...”

“Here.” Namine held out a card, “If you’re ready to face him, you’ll need this to draw him out.”

Riku looked at it, finding it another world card with a picture of a strange castle on it, with towers sticking out every which way. He pocketed it, then turned to Aqua and Mickey. “Can I talk to you guys a second?”

Mickey offered out a sound of agreement, while Aqua ran a hand one last time through Ven’s hair and then followed them to a corner of the room.

“Look, if... if this doesn't go the way I hope. If Ansem takes me over, I want you guys to dest--”

“Of course!” Mickey interrupted, “We’ll be right there to back you up.”

“What?” Riku shook his head, “No! I need you guys to destr--”

“Riku,” Aqua interrupted gently, her expression said. “Someone else tried to get me to make that promise once. I couldn’t keep it. I won’t. So please don’t ask me to do that again.”

“I--” Riku looked away from her face. “I--” He just couldn’t risk it though. If Ansem took control of his body again, what would he do to Sora and Kairi?

“I will promise, that I’ll do my best to save you if you need help.” Aqua offered out her hand, “No matter what. Unless you don’t believe me?”

“Same here!” Mickey offered up a grin, “Gosh, Riku, we won’t abandon you that easily.”

Riku blinked then let out an embarrassed grin. “I-- Okay. I choose to believe in you guys.”

“We believe in you too.” Aqua shook his hand. “You’re going to win Riku. I just know it!”

Teal eyes glanced away towards the door ahead. “Okay. See you on the other side then.”

He waved at them, then spared one last look for Sora and Kairi, as well as Namine who grinned back. The Replica was leaning against the wall of the room, and he offered a small wave back.

Then Riku held up the card, watching it glow for a moment before opening the door.

Of course, it wouldn’t be that easy. Things with Xehanort’s Heartless never were. Room after room filled with heartless that Riku had to defeat before moving on. A literal maze of corridors and doors. He used the opportunity to grow more comfortable with his darkness, trying to use it without letting it control him. The more he did that, the more he realizes that the darkness was just an extension of himself.

_Sora loves you. All of you. Not just the light parts._

If Sora could love him just as he was, Riku supposed that he had no other choice than to love himself as well. All aspects of himself.

He just hoped it would be enough to face Ansem.

Finally, he entered what had to be the last room, and as soon as he stepped foot inside, the aura in the space changed. Became darker.

“Ansem. I know you’re here. I can sense you,” Riku huffed and summoned his blade. “Show yourself!”

The dark energy came together, expanding and growing for a bit till Ansem emerged. “So, you’ve truly accepted the darkness in you. This will only make my power over you stronger.”

“No,” Riku answered defiantly, “My power is my own. You may be part of my heart, but it’s still my heart. You can’t just come in and take over. My heart belongs to me!”

The man momentarily looked stunned before a confident smile appeared. “Very well then. We’ll see if your still so confident after I show you what true darkness can be!”

Riku flinched as the darkness that had been emanating from the man exploded outwards, covering the whole room and drifting over him in a wave of energy. Teal eyes squeezed shut, trying to just breathe through it. Once he felt the overwhelming energy dissipate, he took a deep breath and lowered his arms, blinking his eyes open.

The arena was nothing like when he had fought Lexaeus. It was much darker, pitch black, with Ansem at the other end. An arena perfectly suited for dark figures.

Though... Riku clenched his fist. It would be perfect for him too. He had control over his powers, and he could utilize this arena just as well as Ansem could.

Then Ansem summoned this...thing. It was some kind of monstrous heartless that trailed behind the man. The thing fought more than the man himself, taking swipes at Riku when he got too close and even acting as a shield so the boy couldn’t land a hit.

It was more than frustrating. Xehanort’s heartless didn’t do any of the actual fighting himself, just let the monster do it for him.

As Riku dodged yet another attack, for some reason, something Aqua had said in the realm of darkness came back to him:

_“Terra said that Xehanort was a part of him.”_

If that was true and Ansem was Xehanort’s heartless, then... what happened to Terra?

The monster struck again, swiping across Riku’s back and the silver-haired boy let out a grunt of pain. Damn that hurt. He rolled, feeling the darkness growing inside and soon it was strong enough he could access it. The power didn’t quite make the pain go away, but the energy it gave him did make it slightly less noticeable. He then quickly dodged out of the monster’s reach and struck at Ansem’s unprotected back. “Take that!”

Ansem let out a growl and retaliated with a strike of his own, a dark energy beam that connected with Soul Eater knocked it from Riku’s hand. The second strike landed across his chest and sent him flying into one of the barriers of the arena. He let out a cry of pain and slumped to the ground.

Ansem took his time stalking towards him, and Riku blearily opened his eyes, finding a card bouncing up and down. Aqua...

_“I promise that I’ll do my best to save you if you need help.”_

Riku frowned, picking it up and tucking it away, saving it for the perfect moment. Then he rolled out of the way, just as Ansem took another swipe at him, and rolled over to his blade picking it up. His limbs ached, but he thought he had a few more minutes with the darkness power before it vanished.

Taking a deep breath, Riku rushed at Ansem, taking quick decisive strikes that were too fast for the strange guardian monster to block. Then on the last strike, he hit the ground, sending out a shockwave of those strange rocks that he had used against the first robed man. They managed to hit Ansem and separate him from his guardian.

Riku used that chance to summon Aqua, who looked confused for only a moment before firing two blizzards at the guardian.

It ended up being the best move. As soon as she appeared on the field, both Ansem and the guardian froze in shock.

“Aqua?” Ansem whispered, but it wasn’t the man’s voice. It was the other voice Riku had been hearing every once in a while.

Aqua faded away before she could reply and Riku took the chance to attack while Ansem was still distracted, landing a final blow that sent the man flying out of the arena, which slowly dissipated.

“It’s over,” Riku muttered, blade still outstretched.

Ansem gasped for air but did seem to be disappearing. “It’s hardly over. You won’t ever be rid of me. Not as long as you wield darkness.” With those words, the man faded away.

Riku let out a sigh, letting the darkness still clinging to him drift off. He placed a hand over his heart, thinking back to those last moments. Ansem saying Aqua’s name, and the thought that Terra had been overshadowed by Xehanort. Terra must have still been in there. Still fighting to see his friends again.

“It’s okay Terra,” Riku murmured quietly. “We’ll find a way to get your body back. Aqua and I. And Mickey too.”

He took another deep breath to steady himself. He had really done it. Managed to push Ansem back to the furthest corners of his heart. He was still there... but maybe that was for the best. If Terra was there as well, they would need access to him later to restore him.

Riku hoped it would all work out in the end.

He stepped back out the door.

Aqua and Mickey were waiting for him, a huge grin on Mickey’s face, and a slightly smaller, but no less proud grin on Aqua’s. He then spotted movement out of the corner of his eyes and he glanced back to where the strange man from earlier, the one with strips of fabric wrapped around his face, stood leaning against the wall. “Do you two know him?”

“Nope,” Mickey stated, Aqua shaking her head as well. “But it’s strange. I get the feeling that we’ve met before.” The mouse crossed his arms in thought while Riku approached the man.

“Well? Did I make the right choice?”

“Does it feel like the right choice?” The man asked in return.

Riku huffed and crossed his arms, really hating people who asked questions in response to questions. “It feels like the best choice.”

“Then I suppose time will only tell if it was the correct one.” The man stood up straighter and pulled something out from behind him. It looked like the same black coats that the men from earlier had been wearing. “The organization wears these cloaks to move around in the darkness unharmed by it. But it will also dull their senses to others who choose to use the same methods to move around.” He then glanced at Mickey, “I’m afraid that the ears will still be a bit conspicuous.”

Mickey ducked his head, though it really wasn’t his fault.

“Okay and,” Riku raised an eyebrow. “So what?”

“The persons who had taken over this castle were only a fraction of the organization they had come from. The rest of them operate in the shadows. If we are to figure out their full plan and what they wanted with Kairi and Sora, we must also stick to the shadows.” He then stood back a bit. “Of course, the choice lies with you.”

Riku frowned, not completely liking the idea. If he continued to live in the shadows, would Ansem take the opportunity to grow stronger and overshadow him again? But what was the point of beating Ansem now if Riku just ran away from the darkness for a second time? Besides, if people were still out there who were after Kairi and Sora-- “I’m in.”

“Me too!” Mickey exclaimed, reaching out to take one of the cloaks.

“Your Majesty?” Riku asked, a little confused.

“Gosh, Riku...” Mickey looked a little embarrassed. “I’ve been stuck so long thinking that light and dark shouldn’t ever mix, that you’ve really surprised me with your choices to walk with both in hand. I’d like to see where that road takes you. Do you mind if I walk with you for a while?”

Riku rubbed the back of his head, surprised that he could impress a King. “Well, I suppose I wouldn’t mind the company.” He shook the King’s hand and nodded, taking the second cloak from DiZ.

The man held out a third cloak for Aqua, who hesitated for a second before taking a step away and shaking her head. “I’m sorry. I don’t think I can go back to that place. Not for a while. Please don’t think less--”

“You’re not weak for doing what’s best for you.” Riku was quick to reassure her. “I think you’ve deserved a vacation from that place.” 

“I--” Aqua huffed out a smile, “Thank you, Riku. I think I’ll stay here and help Namine. This castle was once my home, and as soon as Ventus awakens, I’d like to restore it to how it was. Maybe working together, we’ll be able to figure out how to wake all of them up.” She then pulled her wayfinder out of her pocket.

With a start, Riku realized that he still had Kairi’s. He pulled it out as well. “I’m going to have to give this back to her eventually.”

“For now though,” Aqua grinned, holding her own up so it caught the light of the room. “An unbreakable connection. If you ever need me, just let me know.”

“Right. Same here,” Riku grinned then shrugged the coat on, finding that the magic in it seemed to tighten and loosen right where he needed it to so it fit perfectly. When he glanced down, he found that Mickey’s coat even morphed so the hood had little pockets for the mouse’s ears. “Take care of them?” He asked of Aqua who nodded.

“Of course.” She offered a wave as the three of them, DiZ, Mickey, and Riku walked out the door and into the ever-present night.

“Well, where to?” Riku questioned, but found the two following him looking to him expectantly. Riku huffed and frowned. How did he become the default leader?

“Wait!” A voice called out, one Riku disturbingly recognized as his own. “I’m coming with you!”

“What?” Riku glared at the Replica that had come racing out of the castle. “No way! You have to return those mem--”

“Namine doesn’t need them quite yet. She said that she had to untangle the other links she had put in to replace them first.” The Replica gasped for breath, “Besides. I made a promise.” Curiously he glanced down at his pinky for a moment before continuing. “She said you were pretty stubborn, so I have to come to make sure you stick to your promise.” He glared up at Riku, daring him to argue.

Riku considered it for a moment, then remembered how stubborn he could be and decided to let it go. “Fine. But no putting yourself in danger. You said you’d--”

“I know.” The Replica nodded, then took the cloak offered to him by DiZ. “So, where are we going?”

Riku repressed the groan that nearly came up, instantly regretting letting his twin/not twin join them, then set off down the middle pathway. The one that led neither deeper in the darkness, nor towards the burgeoning sunrise. “It’s the Road to Dawn. C’mon. We gotta keep moving forward.”

  


Epilogue:

A blonde waits on the familiar clock tower, ice cream in hand, only to be surprised when his friend returned. He offers up a huge grin and eagerly tells the older redhead of the new friend he had made, the shy number XIV, Xion.

In another castle farther away, a man in a black robe sits in a chair talking to the broken pieces of armor, still waiting to find their other friend.

Back at the castle Riku and company had just left, a young woman wanders through the empty corridors, wondering when the day would come when they would once again be filled with the bright sun and warmth of their home. In one of the rooms, a young girl works tirelessly to correct the mistake she had made.

Movements made in shadowed moments, like pieces being set up on a chessboard. Soon all the pieces would awaken and the game would begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I am planning on writing a Princess of Light version of 358/2 Days as well as KH2. I just don't know when I'll be able to work on them. 
> 
> And again, I value every comment and love to read them, so I will save them until after I finish KH3. Not just because I'm afraid of you guys spoiling it for me, but I'm terrified of accidentally spoiling something in a reply. XD I'm afraid I'm rather awful at that.... 
> 
> Until next time!

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know if there are any glaring errors. I can't guarentee I'll fix the right away, but I do like knowing where I mess up. :P 
> 
> Also comments really helped when I wrote the last fic. They were fun and occassionally helped add/change future scenes in the fic. :D

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [(Another) new beginning](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18008537) by [Lucarn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucarn/pseuds/Lucarn)




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